Pain of Publicity
by iLOVEcheese
Summary: Kagome's a pop singer hoping to make it as an actress. Inuyasha's an actor that has to work on many movies with Kagome. They hate each other. One day they wake up and face a problem that can only be solved with team work. Will they come to terms?
1. I'm not going

_**Chapter 1 - **I'm not going!_  
  
A silent, white dressing room rests on it's own. Behind the large, white door you hear the muzzled voices of thousands of people and the clicks of their cameras. Suddenly, the door is kicked opened and the people outside flash their cameras over and over again. Two women walk into the room, almost being rampaged by the crowd of people. Two or three large men are surrounding them and block the view from the cameras. Questions are heard from the mob of people, but continue to be ignored by the two women.   
  
_"Kagome! Just one question! Is it true about your pregnancy?"  
"Ms. Higurashi! What is your reaction to actress, Kikyo, and her comment about your singing?"  
"What are your affairs with your next co-star in your upcoming movie?_  
  
"She won't be answering any of your questions! Now dismiss yourselves!" One of the huge men yelled at the crowd.   
  
"Go inside, close the door, and we'll handle everything." he whispered to one of the girls and nodded his head.   
  
The women did as they were told and closed the door to the white room. One of girls were wearing a black dress suit with light grey lines running down. She had dark, dark brown hair and it was placed up in a bun with black chopsticks. The skirt of her dress suit stopped just below her knee and she wore 1-inch black heels on her feet. On her face were small pair of thin-rimmed glasses, and they gave her a look of pure sophistication. She clutched a clipboard in her arms and stood in the room.   
  
The other girl, on the other hand, wore a light pink trucker hat and a pair of huge black sunglasses. She wore white sweats with a white tank top underneath. Over her tank top, she wore a long light pink jacket. Her dark raven hair was down, but was ruffled up by her hat and she paced left to right across the room.   
  
"I'm not going, Sango!" the girl in pink exclaimed as she yanked off her sunglasses and lightly tossed them on top of the coffee table.   
  
Sango Taijiya. She had been the best friend, personal assistant, and side-body guard of one of the most famous pop singers named Kagome Higurashi. In her early life, she lived in a small town with her father and brother. She went to a good college, received great education, and practiced many different forms of self-defense. For the past years, Sango has remained single and it seems that she will stay solo for quite a while. Though she is very beautiful and has a great personality, she remains loyal on helping her best friend and finds no time for her personal life.   
  
"But, Kagome! You have to. You were personally invited, and Myouga says that it'll contribute on making your career as an actress larger!" Sango replied as she looked through the papers in her clipboard.  
  
Kagome Higurashi. The newest and hottest pop singer to ever release a single song. She always had a compassion for singing when she was younger, and was finally discovered by a man named Myouga. Before recognition, Kagome lived with her brother and mother in a fairly populated city. Over the years, Kagome has had an on and off relationship with the famous hip hop artist named Kouga. Currently, she has called a break upon them and focuses on increasing her popularity as an actress. Kagome still carries her compassion as a singer, but desires to try new things as a celebrity.  
  
"Myouga doesn't know anything! Just because he's my manager doesn't mean that I'm all of a sudden his personal slave that does every single thing he wants me to do! And there must be some other ways for my acting to become more popular! I'm sure of it! This movie opening can't possibly be the only way!" Kagome protested as she slumped on the couch with her arms folded across her chest.  
  
Sango sighed and placed her clipboard down. She gently sat down next to Kagome on the couch.   
  
"What's so horrible about going, anyhow?" she asked calmly.  
  
"BECAUSE! It's_ his_ movie! And I can't stand him!" Kagome stood up from the couch and walked towards a small refrigerator.  
  
Sango sighed once more as she shook her head. She remained on the couch and picked back up her clipboard.  
  
"I don't see why you're overreacting, Kagome. Honestly, you should just go." Sango said as she looked through her papers.  
  
"Sango, we've been through this before." Kagome sighed as she opened a can of Dr. Pepper. "We had two movies together, and he tormented me through both of them! Always making fun of the way I acted on camera, but in the interviews he acts like we're best buds or something! It makes me sick to my stomach!" Kagome made a gagging face.  
  
"What would he do to you off camera? Mess up your hair?" Sango grunted. Kagome rolled her eyes and took another sip of her soda.  
  
"No! He purposely would trip me, make banging noises on my trailer, and the one that annoyed me the most was when he criticized me on my singing!" Kagome pouted as she tapped her foot on the carpet excessively.   
  
"I know it's hard for you, Kagome." Sango said softly as she got up and walked towards Kagome. She placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.   
  
"Starting out as a singer, and now you're working as an actress. Don't you remember how happy you were when you first heard your song being played on the radio?"   
  
Kagome nodded and placed her soda on the coffee table next to her sunglasses.   
  
"And don't you remember how happy you were when you saw the preview of your first movie playing on t.v.?" Sango added. Kagome nodded silently once more.   
  
"It takes obstacles to get bigger, Kags. You have to start somewhere. Don't worry..you won't be working with him in every movie, you know." Sango laughed.   
  
"I guess so...okay. I'll go." Kagome nodded. Sango smiled broadly and flipped through her clipboard.  
  
"Great! You better start getting reading now! You have your hair, make-up, and dressing to go over! Chop-chop, Kagome! We haven't got all day!" Sango got up and quickly began dialing a number on her cell phone.  
  
"I really hate you, Sango." Kagome rolled her eyes and laughed. Sango twirled around and stuck out her tongue. She flashed Kagome one of her comforting smiles and turned her back towards her once more.  
  
"Yes, Myouga, sir. She's going. What time?" Sango said professionally on the phone. "Uh-huh. Really? Why so? Okay. Okay. Okay. Bye." she tucked her cellular into her coat pocket and turned around to face Kagome.   
  
"One of these days, I'm going to get a new manager." Kagome mumbled as she rummaged through her closet to find a dress.   
  
"One of these days, Kagome. . . I trust that you will. In the mean time, you are stuck with Myouga, so please do as he wishes. He's only looking out for you." Sango said as she pulled out a giant plastic wrapped dress and a pair of high-heeled shoes.   
  
"I'll take care of your dress and your hair, just go and take a shower and everything will be prepared for you." Sango gestured Kagome to go as she opened a drawer and pulled out a bag of make-up. Kagome nodded and headed towards the bathroom.  
  
About an hour and a half had passed and Kagome finally was finished with her shower. She wrapped her white towel around her body, and wrapped a separate one around her hair.   
  
As she walked back into the dressing room, she saw Sango standing near the door on her cell phone.   
  
"Yes, I know, sir. She's not out yet." Kagome cleared her throat so that Sango would notice that she was finished. "Oh! Sir! She finished! I have to go, I'll talk to you soon. Good-bye!" Sango yawned she tossed her phone on the couch.   
  
"I can probably fix my hair on my own, Sango." Kagome gave a small girlish laugh.   
  
"No, no. It's my duty to take care of you, and that I will. What else am I paid for?" Sango laughed and it was followed by a deep yawn. She sat Kagome down near a mirror.   
  
"No, really. You look tired." Kagome faced Sango and removed her glasses. "You've grown several dark circles under your eyes." she stated as she looked at her sympathetically.   
  
"Nonsense, it's perfectly fine." Sango forced a smile. Kagome shook her head as she got up.   
  
"Nope! I won't take it! Let me handle fixing myself by myself and you just take a quick nap there on the couch." Kagome pushed Sango near the comfortable, cushioned couch.   
  
"Are you sure, Kags? I mean. . . we do have a time limit, you know." Sango said hesitantly.   
  
"I'm sure, I'm sure! Just sleep! I'll turn off your phone." Kagome insisted as she lifted up Sango's flip phone.   
  
"NO!" Sango exclaimed suddenly, and made Kagome nearly jump out of her towel.  
  
"Why not?" Kagome protested.  
  
"I might have an important call...might....Myouga...asking...for..." Sango tried speaking but every word was interrupted by a deep yawn.  
  
Kagome raised an eye brow at her friend and placed her hands to her hips. "Uh-huh...Myouga might what?" she asked.   
  
"Might...call...." Sango's words faded as she closed her eyes and rested her head on the couch. Kagome smiled at Sango and placed her phone on 'Silent'.   
  
"Nighty-night, Sango." Kagome smiled triumphantly as she unwrapped her hair from the towel and grabbed a brush.

* * *

"Sango? Sango?" Kagome's voice whispered.   
  
Sango opened her eyes slightly, only to be awoken by a large pair of almond eyes staring at her. She quickly jolted up from the couch and looked at the time.   
  
"5:40! It's 5:40 PM! The movie opening starts at 7:15!" Sango stood up from the couch and looked in the mirror to fix her hair bun. A few strands of hair came out, and her bangs were suddenly loose.   
  
"I don't see why you always pull back your bangs, Sango. I think you look pretty with them flowing." Kagome's voice came from the background. Sango turned around as she fixed back her hair up. Her mouth nearly dropped at the sight of her best friend.   
  
Kagome was just standing up after kneeling towards the couch to awaken Sango. Her hair was up in a bun with several strands of hair coming out to give her hair a wild appearance. She wore a silver necklace and a long flowing navy blue dress. The front straps wrapped around her neck like a halter top, and the back was cut low showing off her pale, smooth back. The dress fit around her curves perfectly, and revealed her slender body. Kagome wore light-make up that was just made up of a bit of eye liner and shiny lip gloss.   
  
[**A/N:** The dress Kagome is wearing sort of looks like the dress in 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'. Like the one at the ending. If you haven't seen it, then just use your imagination with my description. Heehee, sorry.]  
  
"You look. . . gorgeous, Kagome!" Sango said proudly as she smiled at her best friend.   
  
"I told you that I could fix myself up." Kagome winked as she placed on a pair of silver bracelets around her wrists.   
  
Sango laughed as she shook her head and turned back to face the mirror. She undid her hair and rewrapped it with her chopsticks. She fixed her glasses so that they weren't crooked and flattened the wrinkles of her dress suit.  
  
"Are you all set to go?" she asked Kagome as she turned around and reached for her phone on the table. Kagome nodded her head and placed on her shoes. Sango took her phone off of silent and saw that she had several missed calls. She dialed Myouga's number and walked to the corner of the room. Five minutes later she placed her phone into her coat pocket and walked towards Kagome.  
  
"The limo will be here in 15 minutes. Are you all right?" she smiled. Kagome nodded and returned a smile back. 


	2. It's you

_**Chapter 2 -** It's you_  
  
The black limo parked at the side of the street where thousands of people waited and held their cameras eagerly. A limo driver came out of the driver's seat and gracefully walked to the back and opened the door. Cameras began flashing as they caught a glance of the celebrity inside.  
  
"Remember, smile, nod, and wave. Smile, nod, and wave." Sango whispered as Kagome took a deep breath and nodded.   
  
She watched as she gracefully got out of the car and stood up on the maroon carpet. Kagome smiled beautifully as she waved to the camera men and ignored their questions. Sango got out of the car and stood close by her.  
  
Kagome remained close by Sango and walked deeper into the long row of the carpet. She widened her eyes as she came across several famous actors and actresses. Kagome turned her head and whispered to Sango how amazed she was at all of the different kinds of dresses. Suddenly, she felt a slight thump in front of her and quickly turned her head to face what she had bumped into.   
  
There Kagome saw her. The famous actress Kikyo. She wore a long, white, strapless dress that was decorated with white jewels and pearls. Her long black hair was worn down and her dress flowed down to her feet. Kagome had heard much about Kikyo, and had admired her as she was a singer. Unfortunately, after Kagome's first movie, there had been much gossip in newspapers about Kikyo having a problem with her.   
  
"Watch it, Higurashi. You almost stepped on my dress." Kikyo hissed as she gave Kagome a cold stare. Several camera men focused their attention on the two girls.   
  
"Well, excuse me, Kikyo. If only you were walking on the red carpet instead of standing on it, maybe I wouldn't have!" Kagome hissed back. Sango laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a 'Don't-mind-her-she's-just-jealous-because-she-didn't-get-to-play-the-part-that-you-played-in-the-movie' look.   
  
[**A/N: **Whoa! What a long-titled stare, huh?]  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed. She gave one final cold stare at Kikyo and proceeded walking. She could hear the questions of the camera men flowing towards Kikyo.  
  
_"What are your relations with Kagome Higurashi?"  
"Is it true that you practiced some sort of witch craft in order to possibly kill her?"  
"Is it true about your pregnancy?"_  
  
'What is up with all of these pregnancy questions?!' Kagome thought to herself as she shook her head and began walking.  
  
She stopped her tracks as she came across her former co-star in her last movie. Sango nearly bumped into her as she had stopped so suddenly.   
  
"Kagome, what is it?" she asked as she walked up to face her. As Sango followed what Kagome was looking at, she rolled her eyes and walked forward.   
  
"Sango! Where are you going?" Kagome called out as she picked up her dress and tried to hurry and follow her.  
  
"Over there! It's the only place to go, you know." Sango said mockingly. Kagome scoffed, but continued to follow her. Her dress constantly was dragged on the carpet, and her heels enabled her to walk/run any faster.  
  
When she finally reached up to Sango and dropped her dress, she looked up at saw _him_. Kagome turned her head to Sango, who was smiling and shaking _his _hand. She nudged her elbow towards Kagome to greet _him_ also, but all she did was give him a cold stare.   
  
People with cameras and interviewers came hurrying over to them, and _he_ looked at Kagome. There were flashes around them, and Kagome continued to stare at him coldly. Sango bit her lip as she observed the two's reactions.   
  
"Hello there, Kagome. Long time, no see." he smiled and held out his hand.  
  
"Yes, it sure has been a while, Inuyasha. We haven't talked since our last movie, hm?" Kagome forced a smile as she took his hand and shook it gently. There were several flashes of cameras being heard in the background.  
  
Inuyasha. One of the most gorgeous actors all around. There wasn't one girl that didn't own a poster of him. He was only a few years older than Kagome, but sometimes acted as if he were only child. Kagome read in magazines and saw on television how thousands of girls fainted at his very presence and how they tattooed their bodies with things like 'I love Inuyasha forever' or 'Reserved for Inuyasha'. Personally, Kagome found the guy distasteful and a total jerk. Her first movie was with him as her co-star and he had been the one that had tormented her. She also couldn't see what girls would see in his features. He seemed to be just like any other guy his age. Tall, muscular, and well tanned. The only things about him that were so different were his long, long, practically longer than Kagome's, black hair and his astonishingly violet eyes. Other then that, Kagome just saw him as another meat-headed actor that found making movies only a way to get money, and not as a compassion.   
  
"I've been good. I'm currently working on a new movie as we speak." Inuyasha replied. He gave a short laugh. "It's amusing that I'm working on a whole new movie, and yet I'm going to my own movie opening right here!" Kagome gracefully flung her head back and forced a few laughs. Sango bit her lip once more and sensed Kagome's uneasiness.   
  
"Well, why don't we proceed on inside the building, shall we?" she interrupted as she gave the two warm smiles. Inuyasha and Kagome nodded and smiled with relief. Inuyasha turned his head and smiled at the cameras once more and then held out his arm to Kagome. She looked at him, and realized that people were still taking photos. He looked at her with his violet eyes and urged her to accept his arm. She rolled her eyes secretly and intertwined her gentle arm with his.   
  
The two walked into the dark building, and Kagome had found no sign of Sango anywhere. Suddenly, she felt the quick movement of Inuyasha's released arm.   
  
"Gah! Finally, they're gone. I don't know how I would've taken being arm-chained with you any longer." Inuyasha said as rolled his eyes and walked further in front of Kagome.  
  
"You're making it sound like I wanted to accept your arm! I'd rather take Naraku's hand rather than yours, you dough-head!" Kagome hissed as she looked around for Sango.   
  
Naraku. Normally, he played one of the villains in any of the movies. He had tried making it as a singer, and a rapper, but failed at all times. Soon, a director asked him to be in their movie. Naraku graciously accepted, and ever since then he became full of himself as if he were some sort of God of Acting. The rumors that were heard was that Naraku had sent several goons to the weakest director and forced him to offer a part. Either way, Sango advised Kagome that Naraku was not someone to be acting with.  
  
"Dough-head?! Why you bad acting little pop singer!" Inuyasha turned to face her. Kagome's eyes flushed with anger and her eye brows came together.   
  
"Why you little–" Kagome was interrupted as she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find Sango.   
  
"Sango! Where have you been?" Kagome said in relief.   
  
"I caught sight of Myouga, and I've found our seats. Come, come with me." Sango gestured Kagome to follow her as she began to walk off again. Kagome was about to finish her insult to Inuyasha, but when she turned around he had gone to his seat.  
  
'Hmphm figures. That jerk!' she thought to herself as she looked back and followed Sango to her seat.

* * *

The movie was finally over and, though Kagome hated to admit it, it was actually interesting. Inuyasha got into his character perfectly and it all seemed so real. While in the limo, Kagome noticed that they had taken a different turn from the hotel she was staying at.  
  
"Sango, where are we going? Wasn't that the turn?" Kagome ask confused as she looked back at the hotel.   
  
"Myouga said that there was a director that wanted to speak with you about your upcoming movie." Sango replied as she drank a bottle of water. Kagome sighed and sank in her seat as the thought of the her new movie ran back into her head.   
  
"I swear if it's that Miruko Houshi I am going to puke! My last two movies were directed with him and they were both sequels! To make matters worse, they all included me AND Inuyasha together. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to make it a trilogy!" Kagome flung her arms and sighed.   
  
Sango fidgeted in her seat as she fixed her glasses. Kagome sat slouched and her arms were crossed over her chest.   
  
"His name is Miroku Houshi." Sango corrected after moments of silence. Before Kagome could question her late response, the limo had already came to a stop and the door opened to a great hotel.  
  
Two doormen dressed in velvet waited at the door with their arms crossed. Kagome got out from the limo, and Sango walked ahead of her. She mumbled something to the doormen, and they graciously opened the door for the two ladies.   
  
Kagome marveled at the gigantic room. The ceiling was decorated with beautiful paintings and elaborate beads. Kagome nearly fell to her back as she lifted her head to look around. She blushed as a laughing Sango tapped her and began walking towards the elevator.   
  
Kagome and Sango stood in front of room number 415 and waited for it to be answered.  
  
"Don't forget, be happy. You should be excited, Kags! This will be your 3rd movie!" Sango said in hopes that it would bring a smile to Kagome's face. Kagome forced a smile and gave Sango two thumbs up. Her hands dropped down when the door opened and a man stood inside. Miroku Houshi.   
  
"Ladies! How are you today? Come in, come in." he said innocently as he opened the door wider. Sango walked inside and gave Miroku a cold stare. He replied to her with a large smile, and Kagome just shrugged off the tension and walked inside also.   
  
The room was gigantic, and not to mention gorgeous. The living room was the size of the downstairs lobby and there was a wonderful view of the city from a large window.   
  
Kagome walked deeper into the hotel room, and she dropped her bag as she saw that there was another visitor in Mr. Houshi's hotel. . .   
  
. . . Inuyasha.


	3. Working with who

_**Chapter 3 -**_ _Working with who?_  
  
[**A/N: **Inuyasha's currently in his human form. . . so, yeah. Okay, just thought I'd fill that one in if anyone was confused. Heh.]  
  
After the meeting with Miroku (and Inuyasha), Kagome and Sango returned back to their hotel. Sango sighed as Kagome began to talk to herself and how angry she was at her upcoming movie.  
  
"I knew it! I knew it! I knew he was going to make it a trilogy! But I just had to jinx it, didn't I?! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Can you believe it?! The nerve of that guy!" Kagome exclaimed as she slipped off her heels and plopped on the huge bed. Sango just placed down her clipboard calmly and took off her glasses. Kagome looked up at the ceiling, breathing furiously.  
  
"And Myouga! He didn't even give me a chance to think about what I wanted to do! This acting career makes me sick! I should just go back to singing!" Kagome grabbed the pillow behind her head and placed it on her face as she screamed.  
  
"Kagome!" Sango exclaimed stressfully as she walked towards the bed. Kagome removed the pillow from her face and sat up.   
  
"I'm sorry, Sango. . . I know I'm acting like a complete child, but this is all so stressful! I really hate him." Kagome said calmly. Sango sat down on the bed next to Kagome and smiled.  
  
"He's only doing his job as an actor, Kags. If there's anyone to blame, blame his lecherous director." Sango grunted as she fell on her back on the bed. Kagome laughed and laid down on her back next to Sango.  
  
"Is it his job to make fun of me while people aren't looking? Then all of a sudden act as if we're great friends just for the publicity? Some job he has. And I absolutely hate having to tolerate it and play along!" Kagome sighed as she let out her hair from the bun. Sango sighed and shook her head.   
  
"If I had known that acting or singing, or basically becoming what I am today would require me to become fake with whom I do and whom I don't like, then maybe I would never have signed that contract." Kagome sighed as she hugged a pillow in her arms.   
  
"Well I'm not going to argue with you on that one, Kagome. Things have changed over the years. But you should never regret accepting that offer. I mean, being who you are right now isn't that bad, is it?" Sango asked.  
  
"Being who I am is fine, but at the moment I hate it! All because I'm working with that long-haired, conceited, show-off Inuyasha!" Kagome sat up on the bed and crossed her legs Indian style.   
  
"Well it didn't seem like he was so pleased to be working with you either." Sango mumbled. Kagome looked at her and sighed.   
  
". . . but then that gives you two something to talk about!" Sango finished her sentence. Kagome looked up at her and laughed.   
  
"Can you believe this script. . .it's worse than the other two movies." Kagome mocked as she skimmed through a booklet.   
  
"Let me see." Sango insisted as she snatched the booklet and stuck out her tongue and Kagome.  
  
"It's not so bad. . . it's different, but not so bad." Kagome laughed as she grabbed the booklet have and tossed it on the table.   
  
The first two volumes directed by Miroku Houshi were about a young girl from the future and a young man from a feudal era teaming up in order to track down pieces of a sacred jewel. In both movies, their journey was finish. The third movie that was about to be filmed was going be about the after life.  
  
[**A/N:** Story sound familiar? ;D]  
  
"I'm not going to worry about it now, though. I don't even want to think about Miruko Houshi nor Inuyasha." Kagome yawned as she stretched on the bed.  
  
"First of all, it's Miroku Houshi, and second of all, it's late so you should get some sleep." Sango corrected as she got up from Kagome's bed and fell onto hers.

* * *

Back at Miroku's hotel, Inuyasha stayed there. In fact, he was going to be staying there throughout the whole time the movie was to be recorded. Inuyasha and Miroku were best friends. One had a compassion for acting, and the other for directing.   
  
"What's so important about what happens afterwards anyhow, Miroku?" Inuyasha grunted as he slouched on the couch of the hotel room.  
  
"Well. . . viewers begged for more, so more is what they shall receive." Miroku replied as he drank a can of Pepsi.  
  
"You shouldn't spoil your fans. Soon they'll be asking for a fourth volume, and I swear if you even consider it I'll rip your head off." Inuyasha threatened. Miroku grabbed his chest and gasped.  
  
"Why, Inuyasha! I am surprised at your reactions. I would've thought that my own best buddy would be proud that I'm going far in my directing career."   
  
"Proud?! Why would I be proud?! You're the one that's wants me to go through hell! Making me act in another movie with that mediocre pop singing wench! Well, I've got news for you, Miroku. I'm-not-acting-in-your-stupid-movie" Inuyasha exclaimed as he stood up.  
  
"What do you mean you're not going to be in my movie?!" Miroku said shocked.  
  
"I mean exactly what I said! I refuse to act with that damn singer!" Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest stubbornly.  
  
"Have you ever even listened to one of her songs?" Miroku replied dully as if he knew what Inuyasha's response would be.  
  
"Wh-wh-what?! Of course I have. . . not. Why would I want to listen to one of HER songs?! Either way I bet she can't sing.. . cause she sure can't act!" Inuyasha yelled as he sat back down on the couch and rest his hand on his forehead.  
  
"Actually, she can, in fact, sing pretty well. And her acting. . . it's fairly believable also." Miroku shrugged.   
  
"Feh. Whatever."  
  
"And my intentions weren't to give you 'hell', Inuyasha. This third movie will give me a chance. . . "  
  
"A chance for what? For a sincere and painful ass-kicking?" Inuyasha growled.  
  
". . no. A chance to talk to her. . ." Miroku sighed dreamily.  
  
"Kagome Higurashi?!" Inuyasha's eyes widened.  
  
"No. A chance to talk to her assistant. Sango Taijiya." Miroku sighed once more.  
  
"Her? Well, maybe you could've talked to her before if you spent more time keeping your hands to yourself other than on her ass."   
  
"Ah, yes. I know. But this time will be different. I, Miroku Houshi, will do my best on charming Sango Taijiya and change her mind about me being just another director." Miroku stood up proudly and gave a heroic smile.  
  
"Feh. Well you better start seeing when you're free because it ain't going to be during that stupid movie. Which, I'm going to add once more, I am not going to be acting in!" Inuyasha smirked as he stood up and walked towards a back room.  
  
"Ergh! C'mon, Inuyasha!" Miroku sighed in disappointment. Inuyasha just waved it off and closed the door to a bedroom.   
  
Miroku Houshi. By now, of course, you should know that he is a director. He was about the same age as Inuyasha and had went to school with him before fame. The two went separate ways after they went to different schools for their compassion. Finally, they met up and agreed to make a few movies together. Miroku was probably considered one of the best-looking directors out there. He had dark black hair that was tied in a tiny ponytail. Though, with his good looks, Miroku was also known to be one lecherous man. Oddly, all women accepted his perverted actions and found them flattering. All, but Sango Taijiya. Once his wandering hand slipped onto her, she immediately reacted as any self-respecting woman would have. . . and knocked him unconscious. Ever since then, Miroku had some sort of a strong attraction towards her, but each time he tried talking to her, she took it as warning sign of lechery.  
  
Miroku sighed as Inuyasha gave no reply from the room, and a brilliant idea popped back into his head.   
  
"Inuyasha?" Miroku called out as he stood outside of the door.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha's voice called out.  
  
"Let's say tomorrow we go to this club. . . my treat." Miroku said nonchalantly.   
  
"What's the catch?" Inuyasha's suspicious voice replied.  
  
"You be in my movie. . . and you can drink all you want at the club. It'll be on my tab. Then, during the movie screening. . . you can eat all the ramen you want. How 'bout it?" Miroku bit his lip as he hoped Inuyasha would accept. There were several minutes of silence, but then finally Inuyasha's voice broke in.  
  
"Feh. Whatever." and with that, Miroku flung his arms in the air and celebrated with himself. 


	4. New Manager

_**Chapter 4 -** New Manager_  
  
"Okay. Okay. Okay, sir I understand. Yes, sir! I've got it all under control. Thank you sir. Okay, you have fun and take your time. Okay. Uh-huh. All right. Bye!" The sound of Sango's voice woke up Kagome from her sleep.   
  
Kagome opened her eyes slightly, but then shut them closed as the sun nearly blinded her. She grabbed her pillow and shoved it into her face to block out the sun. She heard the light click of Sango's flip phone and covered herself with the blanket.  
  
"Kagome! Are you awake? Guess what!" Sango said excitedly as she jumped upon Kagome's bed with her knees.   
  
"Go back to sleep. . . it's so early." Kagome mumbled as she nuzzled her face on the pillow. She heard the cheerful sigh come out of Sango and felt the lightness of her bed. Kagome sighed with relief as she figured that Sango got off of the mattress. Suddenly, there was an odd silence, and Kagome began to get suspicious but she did not move from her spot.  
  
"Come on, Kagome! It's 2:15 in the afternoon! Wake up!" Sango's voice broke in as she pulled Kagome's blanket off. Kagome formed herself into a little ball as the flash of coldness hit her body.   
  
"Sango! I need that back. . . come on!" Kagome groaned. Sango rolled her eyes as she tossed the blanket onto her own bed next to Kagome's.   
  
"You're still in that gown you were wearing _yesterday_! Come on, Kags! I have great news to tell you! Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Sango pleaded as a 7 year-old child would. Kagome gave a tired laugh and removed the pillow from her face. Slowly, she sat up in her bed to see Sango's eager and ecstatic face smiling.   
  
"Fine. What is it?" Kagome asked as she wiped her face with her hands and stretched.   
  
"Well. . . this morning I got a call on my cell phone. . ." Sango began as she opened the curtains of the hotel wide open. Kagome winced as the sun suddenly was shown brightly on her skin.   
  
"Uh-huh. . . as appose to every day?" Kagome mumbled sarcastically. Sango rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at her face.  
  
"Anyway, as I was saying. I got a call on my cell phone and it was Myouga. His mother, whom may I add lives in Europe, is ill and so he's gone over there to visit her. He told me that he'll be out for several months." Sango said dramatically.  
  
"That's terrible! I hope his mother gets well soon. How is this good news, Sango?" Kagome commented.  
  
"I'm not done yet! Anyhow, he added that after his mother gets well. . . that he's going to take a vacation. He says that you've been giving him white hairs from stress." Sango laughed. Kagome just pouted and waited for her to finish her news. She raised an eye brow as Sango stood there in silence.  
  
"And?" Kagome finally asked.  
  
"And. . . guess who's the temporary manager while he's away!" Sango said excitedly as she jumped and jumped. Kagome smiled and laughed.  
  
"Hmm. . . I wonder. Is it perhaps–" Kagome began sarcastically. Sango was far too excited to wait for her guess and broke in on her sentence.  
  
"IT'S ME!" Sango squealed as she jumped on Kagome's bed smiling. Kagome smiled broadly and squealed back. The two hugged in excitement.  
  
"This is so exciting, Kagome! For once, I won't be having to say 'Sir' this and 'Myouga' that! It's all my word! I, Sango Taijiya, the manager!" Sango smiled as she got up and walked proudly. Kagome giggled and watched as her best friend walked around the room waving to an imaginary crowd.   
  
"And so what are our plans today, _Manager Taijiya_?" Kagome asked as she stood up and scratched her head. Sango turned to her and gave a big smile.   
  
"I was thinking maybe we should celebrate! I'm too excited to think of what to do at the moment, but these things should pop up any time soon! Right now though. . . let's go get something to eat! I'm starved!" Sango spoke quickly, and Kagome giggled at her perkiness.

* * *

It was 4:30 in the afternoon and finally Inuyasha was awake. Miroku already had tried waking him up earlier, but was punished by a certain actor's fist. Inuyasha walked into the kitchen to find nothing but a couple of beers and bottles of water. On the counter there were several bags of chips.  
  
'Man. . . talk about your junk food king.' Inuyasha thought to himself as he picked up the booklet for room service.  
  
"Would Miroku really mind if I ordered a few things on here?" Inuyasha asked himself as he skimmed through the pages. He shrugged his shoulders and picked up the phone.   
  
"Actually, Inuyasha. I think I would." Miroku's voice came from the background. Inuyasha turned towards with the phone supported by his shoulder on his ear.  
  
"Well you don't have anything else in this pigsty! And plus, it's not like I'm ordering a buffet. Just a plate of food. . . unless you would like something?" Inuyasha said persuasively as he held the room service booklet in front of Miroku's face. Miroku grabbed it and looked through the pages. Inuyasha's eyes drooped into a 'what-could-it-hurt?' look. Miroku sighed and pointed to an order. Inuyasha smirked and finally someone picked up the phone.  
  
"Yeah. . . I'd like the beef noodle soup with ramen noodles, please. Except, take out all of the meat and the vegetables. And instead of that, could you add a couple of eggs?"   
  
Miroku slapped a hand on his forehead as he listened to Inuyasha's moronic order.  
  
"Uhh. . . yeah. I guess that would just make it ramen with eggs. Yeah. Give me that." Inuyasha said stupidly. Miroku shook his head and sighed. He snatched the phone from Inuyasha and gave him a 'I-can't-believe-I-trusted-you-to-order' look.   
  
"Hello, ma'am? Yes, I apologize for my friend's lack of knowledge in ordering. Would you be so kind as to bring up a nice bowl of ramen with egg and a bowl of rice with barbeque beef to room 415?" Miroku said professionally. Inuyasha crossed his arms across his chest and grunted. Moments later Miroku dropped the phone and turned to Inuyasha.  
  
"It'll be here in 15 minutes. Honestly, Inuyasha. . . I would've thought that you had at least a bit of common sense in that big head of yours." Miroku mocked as he poked Inuyasha's head with his finger. A vein popped on Inuyasha's forehead and seconds later Miroku was lying on the carpet floor with a giant bump on his head.   
  
"And honestly, Miroku. . . I thought there was a brain in that peanut shaped head of yours. Unfortunately, I was wrong and there appears to be nothing but thin air." Inuyasha grunted as he walked into his room and shut the door.  
  
"Actors. It's always that _they_ think. . ." Miroku mumbled as he lay on the carpet with a dazed expression on his face.

* * *

"Agh, it feels so good just wearing sneakers instead of heels." Kagome said dreamily as she ate a french fry.  
  
The two girls had gone downstairs into the buffet for their breakfast/lunch. Kagome sat in her chair as she munched on a chicken leg with her hands. She wore green and white low Chuck Taylor converse shoes. To carry on with that, she wore a pair of blue jeans that were a little ripped at the bottom, and a green tank stop under a green and white jacket. The jacket was cut and was inches above her belly button, but her green tank top covered her stomach.   
  
"Tell me about it. Those dress suits were comfortable and all. . . but all of the black made me unhappy. Finally, I can wear cloths with color without Myouga shooting eye-daggers at me." Sango agreed as she ate her bowl of noodles.   
  
She wore a white tube dress that had three layer ruffles at the bottom. It was cut off just below her knee and swayed when she walked. Her bangs were let out, and her long dark hair was in a loose, low pony tail. She wore magenta flip-flops with an anklet that had stars around it. Her face has only a slight hint of magenta eye shadow, and lip gloss.   
  
After what only seemed like 30 minutes, the girls had realized they had been laughing and talking at the buffet for nearly an hour.   
  
"It's already almost 6!" Sango exclaimed shocked as she checked her cell phone.  
  
"Really? Wow. . . I don't think we've been here _that_ long, have we?" Kagome replied just as shocked.  
  
"Well. . . maybe we could've been here earlier is _someone_ didn't take so long to get dressed." Sango laughed as she waved her hand for the receipt.   
  
"Hey, hey, hey!" was Kagome's reply. Sango just laughed and shook her head as she wrote down their room number on the sheet of paper. The bill would be paid afterwards when they leave the hotel.   
  
The girls got up and walked back to their rooms. Kagome burped several times, and Sango just laughed.   
  
"So what's next, Manager Taijiya?" Kagome asked as they were in the elevator. She looked at her reflection on the walls and looked to see if anything was in her teeth.  
  
"I could really get use to that title." Sango sighed happily and laughed. "I don't know. . .like I said. . . I'm too excited to think of what to do—" Suddenly, Sango gasped and startled Kagome, who nearly banged her head on the wall of the elevator.   
  
"Wh-wh-what?" Kagome gaped as she looked at Sango worriedly. She was smiling and bobbing her head from side to side in excitement. She turned to Kagome and smiled even bigger. Kagome just raised her eye brow and waited for Sango to tell her what her next idea was.  
  
"Okay, Sango. . . breath. In. Out. In. Out." Kagome chanted. Sango caught her breath and calmed down. She finally found her voice and began to speak.  
  
"Let's go clubbing!"

* * *

"Well. . . I'm stuffed." Inuyasha mumbled as he dropped his fork into the bowl of empty noodles. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and crumpled it into a ball, then threw it at Miroku's head.   
  
"Same here. . . I couldn't eat another bite." Miroku replied after the ball hit his head. He would have retaliated, but was too full to barely even move. Miroku figured that Inuyasha was in the same condition, but his thoughts turned out to be entirely wrong.   
  
"Well. . .it's dark out. Perfect time!" Inuyasha said as he jolted up from the couch.   
  
"Ergh. Perfect time for _what_?" Miroku groaned as he laid down on the carpet with his hand on his stomach.   
  
"For you to fulfill your promise, oh-sir-director." Inuyasha smirked as he gave a mocking bow to Miroku. All Miroku did was groan at the pain of his full stomach.  
  
"Give me 5 minutes to get all of this food settled in. . . " Miroku pleaded. Inuyasha grunted and picked him up by his collar.  
  
"No clubbing. . . no acting." he said stubbornly as he looked him in the eye.   
  
"No acting. . . no ramen." Miroku replied slyly as he gave a mocking smile. A vein rose onto Inuyasha's forehead and he dropped the full director on the couch.   
  
"Feh. Whatever. Five minutes, and that's all!" Inuyasha scowled as he walked into his room to get ready.   
  
"Maybe I should've just followed my father and became a monk." Miroku mumbled to himself as he laid down on the couch. 


	5. You can find me in the club

_**Chapter 5 - **You can find me in the club_  
  
The girls spent an hour rummaging through their clothes thinking if they should change or not. Finally, the two came into an agreement that it would be foolish to wear something new when they just put on the clothes that they were currently wearing. Soon, they were looking through a booklet for a nice club that they could go to without being toppled by paparazzi and die-hard fans. Tonight would just be a normal, fun, girls-night out.   
  
"Oh! That one looks interesting!" Kagome exclaimed as she pointed to a picture of a club. It was in the shape of an elephant head and was titled 'Tusks'. Sango gave the picture an uneasy look and shook her head.  
  
"Eh. . . it doesn't look very big. . . it might be crowded." Sango informed as she turned the page. The next one was a club in the shape of a giant basketball. It was titled 'Joop's Hoops'. Sango and Kagome paused as they stared at the unusual club. They looked at each other with similar thoughts, and turned the page.  
  
Several different club pictures were shown, but all were unusual and in a place where paparazzi could easily be. Sango and Kagome sighed as their hopes were almost drained.   
  
"Forget it. . . that's okay, Kagome. We could just stay here. . ." Sango sighed as she slid the booklet away from her and walked towards her bed. Kagome watched as Sango laid in her bed with disappointment reflected in her eyes. She formed her eye brows together and continued searching for a club.  
  
'Sango's worked far too hard for this. . . time for her to have some fun!' Kagome thought in determination. Finally, she smiled as she found a perfect clubbing spot. It was high up in the hills and very large in case of a tough crowd. Kagome read and read on about the information. There were body guards there and plenty of appealing lights every where.  
  
"S-S-Sango!" Kagome stuttered as she was positive that Sango would be happy about this club.  
  
"Hm?" Sango replied with. Kagome carried the book to her bed and plopped it next to her. She pointed to the picture and Sango looked at it. A giant smile instantly came upon her face and Kagome smiled back knowing that Sango was excited once more.   
  
"And it's owned by Ayame! Can you believe it, Sango?! Ayame!" Kagome exclaimed.  
  
Ayame. She was one of Kagome's favorite clothing designers and she practically made everything! Shoes, jewelry, socks, under wear, shirts, pants, sweaters, hair clips, etc. Kagome worshiped every piece of work she created and was so excited that she would be going to _her_ club! Ayame's trademark on all of her clothing brands was the picture of a wolf. With that, it didn't surprise Kagome when she read the title of the club as 'The Wolf's Den'. A bonus on being a famous clothing designer, Ayame was absolutely gorgeous! She had long, flowing red hair and vivacious green eyes.   
  
"This is perfect! Come on, Kagome! We should be going downstairs so we could grab a cab!" Sango smiled as she slipped on her flip-flops and grabbed Kagome's wrist.

* * *

"Miroku! Are you ready yet?!" Inuyasha pounded on Miroku's door as he tapped the floor with his foot impatiently. He wore a big red shirt with black paint marks slashed on it, and a pair of black jeans.   
  
"Yes, yes, I'm here. Have you found a place to go?" Miroku said as he finally walked out of his room. He raised an eye brow as he observed the dent on his door. Miroku wore a dark, navy blue shirt underneath a big button up white-shirt with thin navy blue lines running down. Inuyasha took a few steps back at the smell of Miroku's cologne.  
  
"You think you could've eased up on that scent, Miroku! If you're resisting on touching Taijiya's ass, then she'll probably avoid you because of your cologne!" Inuyasha coughed. Miroku ignored his comment and grabbed the phone. He dialed the downstairs lobby and asked for them to ring up a cab. As he dropped the phone, he turned to Inuyasha once more.  
  
"Did you find a place to go or not?" he asked seriously. Inuyasha shrugged.  
  
"Feh. I just picked anywhere. . . as long as I get to drink anything I want for free." Inuyasha looked at Miroku, who looked a bit irritated. Inuyasha decided to give his friend a break and continued talking.  
  
". . .but yeah, I did pick somewhere. It's Ayame's place. The Wolf's Den or whatever." Inuyasha shrugged.   
  
"I've heard of that place before. . . it's suppose to be great." Miroku commented as he looked at the time. The phone rang once more and he picked it up. After a couple of words, he gestured Inuyasha that it was time to leave.

* * *

"This place it amazing! The parking lot is gorgeous!" Kagome marveled at every little detail of the club.   
  
"Kagome! You've commented on the trees, the hill, the dirt, the rocks, and now the parking lot?! Get yourself together until we go inside!" Sango laughed as Kagome stuck her tongue out.   
  
The entrance line was extremely long, but the girls didn't mind waiting. This would surely be worth the wait. Just as they were on their way to the back of the line, one of the people screamed out Kagome's name.  
  
_"Kagome Higurashi?!"_   
  
Kagome turned around suddenly as saw a few fans in the lines. They were waving and calling to her. She smiled and waved at all of them. Suddenly, a huge man wearing sunglasses came from the front and walked towards Kagome and Sango. Sango grabbed Kagome's arm and pulled her behind.   
  
"Yes?" Sango said confidently as the man stopped in front of them.  
  
"Is that Kagome Higurashi?" the man asked in his deep voice. Kagome gulped as she was afraid of his gigantic muscles and veined forehead.  
  
"Yes, she is. What are you intentions?" Sango said bravely. The man brought his sunglasses to his forehead and he smiled. Sango and Kagome both forced a return smile and tried hiding their confused expressions.  
  
"Well. . . celebrities such as she get in as a V.I.P. Follow me, ladies." he gestured them to follow and they did. The two girls sighed and laughed at each other's frightful faces.   
  
When they finally entered the club, it was just as breath-taking as the parking lot! Actually, it was even better! It was a huge area. There were giant blocks on the dance floor that you could stand on, and the bartenders wore furry clothing that made them resemble wolves. There were strobe lights flickering and vibrant colored lights roaming around looking for someone to place the spot light on.   
  
"This is. . . . " Kagome exclaimed as she was still shocked. She looked to her side to look at Sango, and saw that she was already dancing. Kagome laughed as she began to dance also. The two girls danced their way to the dance floor and looked for an open block to stand on.   
  
Kagome had danced some of her choreographed moved in her old music videos. The crowd made a huge circle on the dance floor and an individual person would enter it and do their thing. Kagome was pushed in by Sango and decided to do the moves from her favorite music video. The crowd of people hollered and whistled at her skilled moves. Kagome finished everything with a bow and returned to her spot.   
  
After her, several individuals entered the circle and danced very well. There were breakers, ravers, ballerinas, and pop singers just like her entering. Kagome looked at Sango from the corner of her eye mischievously and suddenly pushed her in. Sango stood in the middle with unease and gave her a confused smile.   
  
"Come on, Sango! Show them what you're made up!" Kagome exclaimed as she laughed. Just as the crowd of people found out her name, they instantly began chanting it.   
  
_"Go, Sango! Go, Sango! Go, go, go Sango!"_   
  
Sango blushed at the supportive words, but then shrugged and began to dance. The room was filled with loud 'ooo's and 'aww's as Sango did a dance mixture of pop, hip hop, rave, and break-dancing. Finally, she got out of the circle and the crowd started to clap for her. Then the circle was broken and everyone resumed dancing in twos.   
  
"That was awesome! You never told me you could dance like that!" Kagome jumped up shocked as Sango came back beside her.   
  
"You never asked!" Sango replied as she smiled and kept on dancing.  
  
"How about a drink? I'm getting parched." Kagome suggested and Sango nodded and they headed for the bar. Kagome sat down on one of the oval chairs and tapped the table. A woman with long red hair popped up.   
  
"Aya-Ayam-Ayame?!" Kagome exclaimed at the shock of seeing the girl there.   
  
"At your service, how may I help you? Say. . . aren't you Kagome Higurashi?" Ayame replied. Kagome looked at Sango with her mouth dropped, but the corners were folded into a smile.  
  
"Sango! She knows my name!" Kagome said happily. Sango laughed at her friend's excitement and ordered her alcoholic beverage. Ayame laughed and shook her head as she turned to see Kagome still with the shocked expression on her face.   
  
"Of course I know your name, hon. You're only like one of the greatest singers out there. I love your CD!" Ayame smiled. Kagome nearly fainted, but was caught by Sango and Ayame. They laughed and Sango informed that Kagome would just have a coke with a little hint of rum in it. Ayame nodded and went to prepare their drinks.   
  
"Did you hear that, Sango?! She likes my CD! Ayame likes my CD!" Kagome squealed. Sango rolled her eyes and laughed. Soon their drinks were served by a different waitress and they started to drink.   
  
"A coke? A coke? Do you really think I'm _that_ weak?" Kagome said offended as she drank her drink. She paused for a second as she tasted the hint of rum.  
  
"Blagh! Something's wrong with this thing. . . is this diet?" Kagome asked dumbfounded. Sango just laughed as she drank her drink and shook her head.   
  
"It's just a bit of rum. . . don't worry. You won't get drunk just by _that_." Sango laughed. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and continued to slurp from her straw.

* * *

"I've gotta hand it to you, Inuyasha. You chose well for this club. There's tons of room for dancing" Miroku commented as they entered and saw the groups of dancing people.  
  
"Feh. Damn the dancing! I came here to drink!" Inuyasha said as he went towards the bar. Miroku caught his shoulder and stopped him.  
  
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha grunted as he faced Miroku.   
  
"Before getting wasted. . . you could at least dance a few times!" Miroku suggested as he pushed him to the dance floor. Several girls came upon Inuyasha and started dancing. Miroku laughed, but then seconds later women began dancing upon him also!   
  
Eventually, one of the girls turned out to be a die-hard fan and snipped a piece of Inuyasha's hair. He pushed her off of him and looked at her as if she was insane. Indeed, she did look insane. She clutched his hair with her hands and smiled obsessively.   
  
"What the hell was that for wench?!" Inuyasha exclaimed. The girl just began to laugh as if she were some sort of psycho. Inuyasha grunted away and began to look for Miroku on the dance floor. He felt that now would be a good time for a nice trip to the bar. Suddenly, he bumped into someone while searching.   
  
"Watch where you're going!" he exclaimed as he kept on walking. A hand made him turn around and soon he came to see who he bumped into. . .   
  
. . . Kagome. 


	6. One of those off nights

_**Chapter 6 -** One of those off nights_  
  
"Why don't _you_ watch where you're going!" Kagome's voice replied strongly. She already had 3 'special' cokes and was only half-way out of it. Most of her was sober, but the rum gave her no fear to speak her mind towards Inuyasha.   
  
"Well, well, well. . . if it isn't Kagome Higurashi. First we meet up at Miroku's place. . . and now here. Are you following me?" Inuyasha asked in a mocking tone. Kagome grunted as she placed her hands on her hips.   
  
"You wish I was, you jerk. For your information, I came here with Sango to have a girl's night out." Kagome rolled her eyes. "And besides, why would I want to follow a guy with long hair and purple eyes." she added as she gave a smirk.   
  
Inuyasha gave her an evil glare. "Why don't you just admit that you adore me and the ground that I walk on? It's obvious you do since most of your movies are co-starred with yours truly."   
  
"Adore what? You, Inuyasha? Why would I want to adore such a ground that has been walked on by a fake, conceited, meat-headed actor like yourself? And sooner or later, sooner is what I am hoping for, my movies will not concern or have anything to do with the likes of you!" Kagome replied scornfully as she poked his chest when she strongly said the word 'you' at the end of her sentence. A vein popped onto Inuyasha's forehead and his hand clenched into a fist.  
  
'Don't hit a girl. . . don't hit a girl. . . don't hit a girl. . . ' Inuyasha chanted to himself.   
  
"Aww. . . is widdle-Inuyasha-yasha mad at widdle old me?" Kagome mocked as she gave a baby-pout. Inuyasha looked at her with disgust and unclenched his hands.   
  
"Why don't you just go back to your little girl-friend and talk with her? Can't you take the hint that I don't want to socialize with you any longer? It's people like you that irritate me! Stick to one profession and stop trying to be some big-shot and handle two careers at once! And for you to call _me_ fake?! Look who's talking, Ms. Boob-job!" Inuyasha's violet eyes flared with anger at the girl, but the alcohol gave her no fear. She kept her confident stance and gritted her teeth.   
  
"I would be with her right now if I could find her! And you're acting as if I _want_ to talk with you! _You_ were the one that bumped into me in the first place, you moron! And it's people like _you_ that aggravate me! Thinking that just because you're more experienced in something that you're all of a sudden so damn superior! And to end this conversation. . ." Kagome took a step back and clutched her breasts with her hands.   
  
". . . _these_ are 100% real!" she finished and walked away angrily towards the bar. Inuyasha was taken aback by her actions and watched her walk off till the crowd of dancers blocked his view. He grinded his teeth and became too pissed off to continue looking for Miroku. He stomped his foot and began walking towards the bar.

* * *

Sango was back up on the dance floor after her first alcoholic beverage and was dancing with this total stranger. He was a tall guy with spiked hair. He wore a shirt that said 'Bandit' on it and a picture of a skull underneath. He wore black and white wristbands on both of his wrists and a pair of dark blue denim jeans. Like Sango, he also could dance very well. Suddenly, her dancer turned around, nodded and waved good-bye to Sango. She waved back confused, but she kept dancing. She stopped when she caught view of her new dance partner. Miroku.   
  
He stood in front of her, smiling. Though Sango found him and his smile charming and enchanting, she still knew what happened in that perverted mind of his. She stared at him for a few seconds, and did not return him with a smile. Sango backed up a few steps before turning and walking away. Miroku's smile faded as he saw that she was trying to avoid him. Before she became out of sight, Miroku walked after her and gently grabbed her elbow.   
  
"What interests you, Mr. Houshi?" she asked irritatingly as she gave up on trying to run away. Miroku sighed as she addressed him so formally.   
  
"It's Miroku, Lady Sango. And my intentions for approaching you are all descent, trust me." Miroku nodded as he looked into her eyes. Sango raised one of her eye brows.   
  
"Descent? What is your definition of descent? One grope per woman?" Sango asked mockingly. Miroku took a step back and became hesitant if he should try to talk to her once more. Sango scoffed and shook her head as she began to walk away again. Miroku sighed to himself as he walked after her. This time, he walked pass by her and gently grabbed her hand as he led her to less crowded area.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked him as they stopped in the corner. She clenched her hands into fists and held them up towards his face. Sweat drops slid down Miroku's face as he backed away a bit.   
  
"Listen, all I want to do is talk. I've just been thinking. . . and I've realized that we sort of started off on the wrong foot. . ." Miroku said shyly. Sango dropped her fists slowly at his sincerity. She kept them tightened in case he decided on the attempt to grab her ass as usual.  
  
"Uh huh. . . " she said as she nodded. Miroku gulped once more as he tried to finish his sentence.   
  
". . And I just wanna start over. . . How 'bout it?" he scratched the back of his head with his hand nervously. Sango sighed as she unclenched her fists and smiled. Miroku gulped at her smile. . . ever since the day he met her there was something about it that made him so weak in the knees.   
  
"Okay, Mr. Houshi. . . we can start over." she said as she gave another small smile. Miroku's face lit up and a smile was shown on his face.   
  
". . . but tonight, if you ever grope me just once. . . I'll reconsider this and go back to how we were before, got it?" Sango assured as she looked at him sternly. Miroku nodded his head to show that he understood. Sango smiled at him.   
  
'That smile. . . ' Miroku thought to himself in a daze.   
  
"What are you doing here anyhow, Mr. Houshi?" Sango asked as she sat down on an empty couch.   
  
"Please, just call me Miroku. And I'm here for business." he replied nonchalantly as he sat on the table chair next to the couch.   
  
"Oh, forgive me. . . Mi-Miroku. What sort of business?"  
  
"A bribe to Inuyasha so that he'd agree to be in my movie."   
  
"What did you bribe him with?"  
  
"All the drinks he wanted and an ever-lasting supply of ramen during screening." Sango and Miroku laughed. She remembered the times when Inuyasha whined for ramen during the breaks. Suddenly, she gasped and made Miroku nearly fall out of his chair.  
  
"Wha-wha-what is it, Sango?" he asked as he regained his balance. Sango shot up from the couch and began to walk towards the dance floor. He grabbed her elbow and brought her to him.   
  
"What is it?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"If Inuyasha is here. . . and I came here with Kagome. . . then they're bound to run into each other!" Sango replied. Miroku shrugged as he was confused.  
  
"So?" he said.  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Housh– I mean, Miroku. . . Kagome plus Inuyasha equals a big no-no!" Sango shook her head as she looked through the crowd of people. Miroku hit his forehead with his hand. How could he have forgotten? Of course those two were having problems! They were the reason why he was going to have a pretty large bill to pay for ramen and alcohol.   
  
"Do you see them anywhere, Sango?" Miroku asked as he tried looking above the crowd's heads. Sango shook her head with a 'no' and began to bite her lip. Miroku looked at her and smiled. She looked cute when she was nervous. She caught him staring at the corner of her eye and she turned to face him.  
  
"What're you smiling at? Have you found them?" she asked with a tone of hope. Miroku frowned when his reply was 'no'.

* * *

Inuyasha sat at the bar stool with a shot glass in his hand. He quickly gulped it down and gestured the bartender for another one. This would be his 7th glass, and the bartender became hesitant if he should hand him one more. Unfortunately, he was a rookie and was too frightened to disagree with Inuyasha's wishes. As he passed him his 8th glass, another customer appeared at the corner of the long table. He gasped as he saw who it was. Kagome Higurashi.   
  
"Bartender! I'll have a margarita and a buzzed coke. With a straw, please." she ordered sweetly. The bartender nodded as he couldn't believe his eyes. He was about to serve Kagome Higurashi! What a great night this turned out to be! He just had to call his friends and tell them the great news.   
  
As he slid her the drinks she ordered, he quickly got his co-worker to stand-in for him and went outside for a few minutes. He dialed his friend's number on his cell phone and immediately told him who was at the club. His friend had been just as shocked and repeated the news out loud. Unfortunately, his friend was in the city and there were several paparazzi taking breaks. They all began to eavesdrop on his good news and quickly ran to their vans and looked through phone books for this 'Wolf's Den'.  
  
Kagome sipped on her margarita and shut her eyes tightly at the bitterness. She looked to the far left and saw a certain guy with long black hair sitting at the table with several empty shot glasses in front of him. She smirked to herself as she picked up her two drinks and walked towards him.   
  
"Why, hello there Inuyasha." Kagome said as she tried to give a 'sexy' tone to her voice. She couldn't hold back her giggling at the confused face of Inuyasha as he looked at her. He, too, was a little out of it, but was still sober enough to know what he was doing.   
  
(**A/N:** Wow. . . strong for 8 shots, eh? Well. . . I wouldn't know. . . I don't drink. . .keke.)  
  
"What do you _want_, Kagome?" he asked bitterly as he turned back around and found three more shot glasses in front of him. He grabbed one and gulped it down with ease. Suddenly, he felt Kagome's arm around his neck and she was sitting on the bar table.   
  
"I want world peace. . . an itty-bitty-fat cat. . . I want to be an astronaunt. . . I want to fly!" Kagome began to laugh hysterically as she flung her arms into the air and flapped them like a bird. Inuyasha couldn't help himself, but laugh at her actions. He gulped down the second shot glass, as he shook his head for the instant feeling of dizziness.   
  
". . . I want Sango to be my permanent manager. . . I want to make more movies. . . " Kagome's voice went on and on, and Inuyasha kept on shaking his head as her voice began to blur. Finally, after a few more shakes, he was a BIT back to normal.   
  
". . . I want to get married. . . and. . . " Kagome said as the tapped her head with her fingers. She crossed her arms across her chest as she sat on the bar table and thought to herself. Inuyasha looked at her and could've sworn that he saw a duplicate. He blinked several times and sighed with relief as there appeared to be only one Kagome in front of him.  
  
"Do you ever stop yapping?" Inuyasha asked mockingly as he gulped his very last shot glass. Kagome looked at him and hopped off the table. She placed her hands upon her hips and tapped him. Inuyasha spun around in his chair, Kagome had a triumphant smirk across her lips.   
  
". . . I wanna dance!" she finally said as she grabbed his hand and brought him to the dance floor. Inuyasha's head began to pound, but he ignored it anyway. Kagome's force guided him to a dance spot and he stared at her as she danced in front of him.   
  
"Are you just going to stand there like an old fish? Come on, Inuyasha! Dance!" Kagome said perkily as she grabbed both of his hands and swayed left and right over and over again. Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders and began dancing with her. The two laughed together and bobbed their heads.   
  
One of the lights in the club that focused on a pair of dancers landed on them. The two had noticed that it got brighter where they were and began to look up at the source of the light.  
  
"Look, Inuyasha! It hurts!" Kagome laughed crazily as she pointed to the light.   
  
"It does! My eyes burn! We must blink!" Inuyasha laughed crazily also as they both looked at the light and blinked their eyes every 5 seconds.   
  
"Hey! Blink! Sounds like ink!" Inuyasha said randomly as he turned to face Kagome. Kagome opened her mouth in shock and nodded in agreement.  
  
"That also sounds like pink! Think! Sink! Tink!" Kagome responded. The two grabbed each others' hands again and swayed left to right as they recited things that rhymed with 'blink'. Suddenly, the dance floor was cut by many men and women that clutched something in their hands. They all surrounded Inuyasha and Kagome, but they decided to ignore it.   
  
"Ooo! Looky! They have lights in their boxes! Wait, wait. . . it's gone! There it is again! Looky! That other person has one too! And that one, and that one, and that one. . . " Kagome counted as her and Inuyasha stared at the people surrounding them in amazement.   
  
"Look! And that one has a big black box! With a bigger light! Hello, Mr.! This is my friend, Kagome. Isn't she so pretty? She's sings good too!" Inuyasha waved at the man with the 'big black box' and gently held Kagome's arm as he pointed to her proudly. Kagome gained a few shades of pink on her face as she waved.  
  
"And this is my friend, Inuyasha! His movies are awesome! You have got to check them out!" Kagome pointed to Inuyasha as she stuck her tongue out at the man with the 'big black box'.   
  
Sango and Miroku stopped their search as they saw flashes of light appear in the center of the dance floor.   
  
'Oh no. . . please don't tell me that's where they are.' Sango thought to herself dreadfully.   
  
She grabbed Miroku's arm as she led them to see what the chaos was. Sango gasped in horror as she saw Kagome with Inuyasha in the middle of the circle doing body-builder poses. Miroku also saw what they were doing and instantly began to laugh. Sango slapped the back of his head and reminded him that this could ruin their careers.   
  
"They're drunk! We have got to get them out of there, Mr. Houshi!" Sango said in worry. Miroku winced as she informed him by his last name. No matter how many times he asked her to call him 'Miroku', she seemed to always forget. He sighed as he ignored it and nodded to her.   
  
"Okay. . . first we have to get all of these camera men out of the way." he suggested. Sango nodded as she bit her lip and fidgeted with her fingers. They tried moving inside the circle, but there were just too many paparazzi to budge. Sango cupped her face with her hands as she watched Kagome do the chicken dance, only having Inuyasha followed her moves.   
  
"It's all my fault. . . I shouldn't have given her the buzzed out coke." Sango groaned as she cupped her face with her hands. Miroku pat her back and was tempted to move down lower, but remember Sango's threat.   
  
"Now don't be foolish. . . it's not your fault at all. It's nobody's fault. . . don't go on blaming yourself. Let's just focus on getting them out of that snake pit, okay?" he said as he smiled at her. Sango looked up at him and returned him with a small grin.   
  
Suddenly, there was a fight in one of the corners of the bar. Two men were growling at each other and throwing punches. Ayame ran towards the commotion that had been caused in her bar and instantly tried to break it up. The paparazzi and camera men instantly ran towards the problem and began to face their cameras else where.   
  
Sango and Miroku looked at the new attention and watched a preview of the bar fight. They winced at the sound of hard punches and bones cracking. Then, they realized that this was a perfect time to catch Kagome and Inuyasha. But when they turned back to look for the two. . . they were gone.   
  
"Oh shit! Miroku! Where'd they go?!" Sango gasped in shock as she found them no where. Miroku's eyebrows formed together as he gave the bar a quick search. He became worried because he didn't have a slight clue to where they could be either.   
  
"First day on the job and I lose her! Shit, shit, shit! Where could she be?! What if she gets hurt?!" Sango panicked with several questions and Miroku pitied her. Suddenly, Sango's voice faded as her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Before she could fall on the floor, she was caught by Miroku's arms.   
  
"Damn it. . .now that they're outside, they could be anywhere." Miroku picked up Sango bridal style and her head leaned gently on his shoulder. His heart began pounding and he gulped when Sango's light breath caressed his neck.  
  
'At least she's at rest now. I've got to bring her somewhere safer.' Miroku thought to himself as he exited the club. He called for a cab and minutes later it arrived. 


	7. Sober

(**A/N:** Look, okay, I know this is way off the subject. . . but. . . last night I went to a Dashboard Confessional concert! EEEEEPPP!! It was awesome! There were different bands opening up for them too! I haven't really heard much of them. . . but they were pretty good. Hmm, I forgot the first band's name, but I know the other two were called 'The Get Up Kids' and 'Thrice'. Thrice was pretty heavy, but really awesome! The only downfall that I didn't like about the concert was the pushing and the shoving and everything. Hmm. . . now I can include one of these moments in one of my fanfics perhaps! Woohooo! DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL ROCKS!)

* * *

_**Chapter 7 - **Sober_  
  
Sango is laid down wrapped in a velvet dark purple blanket. She lays on a huge, king-sized round bed. The room is decorated with elaborate designs. Slowly, Sango stretches in the bed and rubs her face on the pillow.   
  
'Mmm. . . soft pillow. Finally the fabric isn't as rough as before. . . I'll have to remember to tip the house-keeper. .' Sango thought to herself.   
  
'I must be in my bed. . . that must mean that Kagome is safe. Whew. What time is it?' Sango flung her arm in the direction where the tiny table was to grab her cell to check the time, but she felt nothing but air.   
  
'Wh-what the hell?' Sango raised her head lazily to see if the table had been moved. Her eyes widened as she saw that she was not in her room. She sat up in the bed suddenly and looked around. Everything on the bed was dark purple. The silk bed sheets, the pillow cases, and velvet blanket. Sango began to breath heavily in fear and shock as she looked around the room.  
  
"Oh shit! Where the fuck am I!?" Sango gasped as she uncoiled herself from the blankets and got off the bed. She nearly fell on her face because she hadn't realized that the bed was so high and that there were tiny stairs to walk down.   
  
"What the fuck am I wearing?! Where are my clothes?!" Sango screamed as she felt a different weight as she walked. She looked through a mirror and saw that she was wearing a baggy, black shirt and baggy, black sweats. Sango sighed with relief as she felt her dress underneath.   
  
"Are you always this potty-mouthed?" a voice called from behind her. Sango cracked her neck to turn towards the voice. Her eyes widened as she saw Miroku leaning suavely on the frame of the door.   
  
"How are you feeling?" Miroku asked calmly. He gave her a charming grin. Sango clenched her hands into fists as she stomped closer to him.  
  
"YOU PERVERT!" she exclaimed as she slapped him straight across the face. A dizzy Miroku lay on the carpet.   
  
"I. . . can. . . explain. . . " Miroku forced out nervously as Sango threatened to slap him again.   
  
"Well? I'm waiting. . . " Sango said impatiently as she held up her fist. Miroku gulped as he got up and took a few steps back.   
  
"Last night. . . when we couldn't find Kagome. . . you just passed out. . ." Miroku explained as he rubbed his cheek.   
  
". . .so I figured I couldn't look for them with you unconscious and I brought you here. . . " Sango began tapping the carpet with her bare foot impatiently. Miroku gulped as he tried speeding up with his explanation.   
  
". . . and I guess the rest is history?" Miroku shrugged. Sango raised an eyebrow.  
  
"And how would you explain these?" Sango asked irritatingly as she flared out the sweats and shirt. "And the bed? And your room?" Sango's tapping on the carpet sped up. Miroku gulped again as he forgot about that detail.  
  
"It was cold that night. . . and you were just wearing _that_. . .so to dodge the risk of getting pneumonia. . . I gave you a few pajamas. . . it's perfectly innocent." Miroku inched back at the flaring girl. Her hands were still in fists.   
  
"And the bed. . . well, would you have found it better if you were sleeping in the cold living room on that rough couch?" Miroku crossed his arms across his chest. Sango's eyes died down a bit, but were still fused with anger. She raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"But, of course, I didn't mind it and spent the night on the couch myself." he quickly added in. She dropped her brow and continued tapping her foot on the carpet.  
  
"My room. . . ah, let's see. . . I guess this question doesn't need much explanation. . . would you have rather slept in Inuyasha's?" Miroku asked as he smiled confidently. Sango dropped her fists and smirked.   
  
"Thank you Mr. Houshi for giving me a place to stay in my time of need. . . that was very. . . err. . . noble of you. . ." she finally spoke as she straightened up her stance. Miroku sighed with relief as her voice's tone was calm.   
  
"And I suppose it was gentleman enough for you to let me sleep in your bed. . ." Sango's head bent down. She gave a small laugh. Miroku tried to look at her face as he was confused at her reaction. Sango lifted up her head to reveal a small smile. Miroku gave an uneasy smile in return, but then Sango's smiled faded into a look of disgust.   
  
"But it was fairly warm in your room and therefore giving no use for a clothing change, you pervert!" she exclaimed as she slapped him across his face, making him fall on the carpet floor. She held up her nose high as she stepped on him in order to escape the bedroom.   
  
Just as she exited, she gasped and turned back. Miroku was just getting up as he held onto the door for support. He heard her gasp and turned back in horror as he thought she was going to come back for another hit.   
  
"I didn't see anything, I swear! Your dress was on the _whole_ time! I didn't look at anything. . . well. . . maybe something. . . _one _thing. . . but that was it! I swear!" he said quickly. Sango ran up to him, she wore a different expression than he thought she would. She looked worried.   
  
"If you brought me here after we couldn't find them. . . then that means that _we didn't_ find them. . . which results that they could be anywhere?!" Sango asked as she clutched his collar. Her eyes were filled with worry and Miroku couldn't stop staring into her deep brown pools of concern. He sighed as he nodded his head. Sango dropped his collar and looked away.   
  
"Oh God. . . Oh God. . ." Sango turned away from him and her knees went out. Before she could fall, Miroku caught her in his arms and she looked at him.  
  
"This seems familiar. . . only your eyes were closed." Miroku smiled at her. Sango looked at him and nearly melted in his charming smiling. Wait? Melted?! Charming smile?! Sango couldn't possibly be going soft on the lecher. . . not after all of those 'wandering hand' movements. Could her thoughts about him possibly change after just one night?  
  
Sango gave in to a tinge of pink on her cheeks. She released herself from his embrace and walked a few steps in front of him.   
  
"We need to find Kagome. . .Who knows where she and Inuyasha had gone?" Sango said finally as she turned around and made sure the blush had worn off. Miroku nodded.   
  
"Yes. . . but how?" he questioned. Sango paused for a moment, and looked at him.   
  
"I don't know. . . but we have got to look. . . anywhere." She turned her head and walked towards her flip flops by the door. "First we should go back to my hotel. . . "  
  
Miroku grinned at her words. "Words ringing through my ears, dear Sango." he said dreamily. Sango rolled her eyes.   
  
"First of all, Kagome might be there. Second of all, if she isn't then I could change from this dress and into something more casual. And third of all, you're such a lecher." Sango finished as she left Miroku with a matching hand print on the opposite side of his face where the other one had been.

* * *

Sango and Miroku stood out in front of her hotel. She waited as Miroku paid the cab driver for their ride.   
  
'I'm going to be paying loads on my bill. . . all I wanted to do was make a movie! But, in exchange, I get a stubborn-headed, best friend, actor that needs a bargain in order to HELP me. Why am I doing all of this again?. . . ' Miroku sighed to himself as he placed his wallet in his back pocket and turned to Sango. She looked at the hotel, and turned back to him and smiled.   
  
'. . . oh. Right. _That_.'   
  
"So where to, Lady Sango?" Miroku asked as he gave a small bow. Sango laughed and nodded her head as she gestured him to follow her. She lead him into the elevator. It had mirrors as walls, and she looked at herself. Sango still wore the black pajamas that Miroku had 'generously' given her.   
  
"Exactly, what did you see?" she broke the silence. Miroku looked at her with a confused expression.   
  
"You know, before I started panicking about Kagome's absence. . . you said that you saw _one_ thing. Exactly, what did you see?" Sango crossed her arms across her chest. Miroku gulped and scratched the back of his head.   
  
"Oh, _that_." he replied as he gave a few uneasy laughs. Sango just raised her eyebrow. The elevator stopped and opened on their floor. Miroku gave a sigh of relief as he walked out.   
  
"Well?" Sango's voice questioned behind him. He nearly fell on his face. She just wouldn't give up.   
  
"Why must you know?" he asked. Bad, bad, bad question. Sango brought her eye brows together and stomped towards him.   
  
"First of all, it's _my_ body that you invaded. Second of all, since it is my body then I should have the right to know what you saw." Miroku gave a large gulp. The girl did have a way with her words. . . damn it. Miroku turned his head as he mumbled.  
  
"What?" Sango asked irritatingly as she walked towards her room. Miroku cleared his throat and mumbled words once again.   
  
"Huh?" she asked again as she reached the door. Miroku sighed.   
  
"I said I saw your. . ."

* * *

An edge of sun strikes through the small crevice from the curtain. It lands right on Kagome's eyes and she uses her hand to cover the piercing light.   
  
"Mmm. . . make the sun go away. . . " she moaned as she turned in her bed.   
  
'The blanket feels so soft. . . almost like human flesh. . ' Kagome thought to herself as she nuzzled her head on the blanket. She opens her eyes suddenly as she hears something from her 'blanket'.  
  
'Wha-wha-what is that?!' she asks herself as she listens to the constant thumping. Kagome was too lazy and to rise up from her bed to see what was wrong with her blanket, and kept on trying to guess the source. 'It almost sounds. . . like. . . a. . . heartbeat?'   
  
Before Kagome could react or continue her guessing, a rush of warmth covered her entire body. She gave into the comforting warmth and fell asleep once again. Suddenly, there was the sound of a loud crash at the door.   
  
"YOU SAW MY UNDERWEAR?" Sango's voice roared. A large thump was heard on the floor.   
  
"And a bit of your torso. . . and maybe just a hint of your bra. . . " Miroku added in as he lay on the floor with several hand marks on his face.   
  
"So basically, you saw _under _my dress!?" Sango concluded as she lifted him by the collar of his shirt.   
  
"I didn't ask to see your torso and above! You practically showed it to me!" Miroku defended himself. Sango let go of his collar.   
  
"How could I? You said that I fainted!" She yelled back at him.   
  
"You _did_ faint! But I suppose you also drank a hint of alcohol because you woke up when I was giving you clothes! Then you started complaining about the uncomfy dress and began loosening it!" Miroku replied.  
  
"Well you should've stopped me! After all, that would've been the true polite thing to do, you know!" Sango yelled as she shoved his shoulder and walked towards the bedroom. He followed her and grabbed her wrist to face him.  
  
"I did!" he replied. Sango just looked at his eyes. He was telling the truth.   
  
"Fine." She replied as she gave in. Miroku sighed with content and became calm. ". . . but you have to be fair." she continued her sentence. Miroku paused and gave her a weird look.   
  
"And how would I do that?" he asked. Sango gave a small laugh and she looked at him.   
  
". . .Show me on you what you saw on me."

* * *

Sango walked back and forth in the bedroom as she waited for Miroku. She laughed and shook her head. Suddenly, she heard the soft sound of movement on the bed. Her and Kagome's beds were pushed together. There was a huge lump covered by the blankets.   
  
'Could that be Kagome? Damn, I was so angry about that lecher that I forgot about her for a second!' Sango thought to herself as she walked towards the combined beds.   
  
"Ka. . . Kagome?" she whispered as she poked the lump. There was a wiggling movement, and Sango took a step back. A side of the blanket swung open revealing Kagome in her tank top and short, short, shorts. But she wasn't alone.   
  
"Good morning, Sango." Kagome said as she sat up from her bed. A rush of pain came across her head. She gave Sango a small smile, but it soon faded. Sango's eyes were widened with shock as she looked at Kagome in the bed.  
  
"Sango, what's the matter with yo-" Kagome's words were cut off as the other side of the blanket swung open.   
  
"Argh, my head hurts like fuck. Where the hell am I?" a rough and deep voice came on. Kagome gasped as she turned her head. She caught sight of silver-hair and gasped as she had no clue who this person was.  
  
Suddenly, Miroku came into the bedroom wearing nothing but his boxers. Sango turned to look at him and eyed his body. She gave in to a tinge of pink blush on her cheeks, and a small smile. She instantly wiped the smile off before Miroku could notice it.   
  
Miroku's bare chest was fairly tanned. It wasn't too dark, and not too light. She eyed his muscular pectorals and four-pack. Sango nearly gave in to her knees at the vague sight of a 6-pack line. His arms were muscular as well, and his whole chest was perfect. His boxers were black with yellow smiley faces on them.   
  
"I still don't see how this would make things fai–" Miroku walked in, and paused at the sight of Kagome and her strange bed partner.   
  
"Inuyasha?. . ." 


	8. We're what

_**Chapter 8 -** We're what?!  
_  
"Inuyasha?. ." Miroku's voice trailed as he stared at the silver-haired boy on Kagome's bed.   
  
The boy placed his hand on his head and turned to face Kagome. They both sat up on the bed and exchanged glances at each other. Seconds later they were both screaming their heads off. Sango and Miroku flinched at their cries, but kept their stance. As the two stopped screaming they placed their hands on their heads to stop the throbbing. They both groaned in pain and fell back on the bed.   
  
"And that would be the alcohol kicking in." Miroku commented.   
  
"Hangover, perhaps?" Sango asked nonchalantly.   
  
"Most definitely." the two nodded their heads.   
  
"Ugh, what happened? My head is throbbing like crazy." Kagome groaned as she tried sitting up.   
  
"I should be asking you that question, Kags." Sango laughed as she brushed Kagome's bangs off of her face. "You should probably try not to move so much. . .you did drink a lot last night."   
  
Kagome brought her head up to look at Sango, but instantly dropped it down as the throbbing began to pound harder. Sango sighed as she pitied her friend's pain.   
  
"So, that one's Inuyasha?" Sango whispered to Miroku as she pointed to the second lump on the bed.   
  
"Afraid so. . .weird-looking little thing, isn't he?" Miroku scratched his chin as Sango tried holding back her laughter.   
  
"Hey you bozo, I can still hear you. If my head didn't hurt so much, I'd get up and kick your ass. . ." Inuyasha's voice came in. Sango gasped as she was shocked that he heard them talking. Then, as if Miroku knew what she as thinking, he spoke.   
  
"You see. . .Inuyasha's not like any average human being. . ." he began. "Actually, to be exact, he's only half."   
  
"Half? How is that possible?" Sango asked confused. Inuyasha's mocking grunt was heard in the background.   
  
"Well, his mother was human. . .but his father, you see, was. . . well. . ." Miroku had a hard time explaining the situation.  
  
"To resist embarrassing yourself in front of her with your lack of intelligence. . . My old man was half dog demon. And since it's in my blood, once every month I go through changes such as these." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and grunted as he finished Miroku's sentence. Sango nodded her head in understanding.  
  
"What!? I'm laying next to a _dog_ demon?!" Kagome yelped as she tried moving. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and grit his teeth.   
  
"And _I'm_ laying next to a low-class pop singer! Get over it." he argued back.   
  
"Low-class?! Why you meat-headed dog!" The two immediately sat up in their beds with rage and looked at each other. They threw several insults to each other and Sango and Miroku just stood and watched.   
  
"Three. . ." Sango counted down first as she stood with her arms folded across her chest.   
  
_"Go sing about how you feel because I don't care! All you do is yap-yap-yap!"  
"Do us all a favor and stare at yourself in the mirror! It'll spare us having to look at your. . . at you!"_  
  
"Two. . ." Miroku counted as he stood next to Sango and observed the arguing pair.   
  
_"Are you always this annoying?! Or is it only with me!?"  
"Maybe I wouldn't be so annoying if you weren't so arrogant!"_  
  
"One." Miroku and Sango finished as they looked at the two dully. Just as they finished their counting, Kagome and Inuyasha broke their sentences of insults and dropped their heads on the bed once again.   
  
"Why don't you two take some aspirin? Maybe your headaches will die down a bit?" Sango suggested. The two just groaned, and she took their response as a 'yes'.   
  
Just as Sango walked to the kitchen, the door suddenly opened and one of the house-keepers walked in. It was a young woman and she wore the hotel's uniform. Right out of the door was a large cart that carried all of her cleaning utilities.   
  
"Oh! Midori sorry." she said just as she turned to see the four guests in the room. She covered her eye with her hand.   
  
"Uhh. . . Miss? It's all right. . . it's fine. . . . err, why have you arrived?" Sango said shocked at the young girl.   
  
The girl looked at Sango with a confused expression on her face. She inched towards the door with her hands above her eyes.   
  
"Do you speak. . . err, English?" Sango asked. The girl looked at her and gave a small smile.   
  
"English! Yes! Midori know tiny, tiny, bit!" she clapped. Sango sighed and smiled.  
  
"Your name is Midori, yes?" Sango assured. The girl nodded her head.  
  
"Yes, Midori, me. Yes, yes." she pointed to herself. Sango nodded her head slowly.  
  
"Okay, Midori. I'm Sango. Me, Sango. You, Midori." Sango introduced herself at the nodding girl.   
  
"Okay, now. Why did you come here?"  
  
"I come here to clean. Clean room. But Midori leave married ones now." the girl turned around to leave, but Sango caught her arm once again.   
  
"_MARRIED_?!" Sango and Miroku both exclaimed. The girl flinched at their loud voices and nodded slowly.  
  
"Married. . . couple. . .them! There. On honeymoon, no?" she said as she pointed to the bed. Sango and Miroku slowly turned their heads, and turned it back to Midori.   
  
"Wait, wait, wait. . . honeymoon?" Sango asked as she gently tugged the girl's arm.   
  
"Yes, yes. Honeymoon. Like, the marriage, yes? Married. Them. . ." she pointed to the bed once again. Sango's eyes widened and she let go of Midori's arm. The girl gently closed the door and made her way down the hall.   
  
"They're. . . they're. . ." Miroku stuttered. Sango shook her head negatively.   
  
"They can't be!" she turned to look at the bed. "Could they?"   
  
"They _were_ drunk. . ." Miroku shrugged. Sango walked into the kitchen and took out two cups of water, one water bottle, two aspirins, and a bottle of pills.  
  
"What're the pills for?" Miroku asked. Sango opened it and popped in three tablets in her mouth. She twisted the water bottle open and drank the pills away.  
  
"Stress." she responded as she dropped the two aspirins in the cups of water. Sango carried the two glasses to the bedroom and saw that the two were trying to sit up.   
  
"Here. . . this should make your headache die down some." she said as she handed Kagome and Inuyasha their glasses.   
  
"Thanks, Sango." Kagome smiled as she drank from the cup. She shut her eyes tightly at the pounding in her head, but fought it down. Inuyasha had already finished his water. It was as if he inhaled the beverage.   
  
"So. . .what happened with you two? Did she finally agree to bear your child?" Inuyasha asked suddenly as he realized that Miroku was only in his boxers. Sango's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink and she looked at Miroku. She remembered the very first question he had asked her on the set of Kagome's first movie.   
  
**Flash Back  
**  
"Would you do the honors of bearing my child?" the dark haired director asked Sango as she walked in the studio. He held her hands in his and she stared at him oddly.   
  
"Err. . .what?" she asked confused.   
  
"Would you be interested in bearing my child? Such beauty as yours is not a thing to be wasted. . ." he smiled at her. Sango forced a smile .   
  
"I'm sorry. . .but I don't even know yo–EEEP!" Sango's sentence was cut off as she felt a 'wandering hand' down somewhere it didn't belong.   
  
"PERVERT!" her voice echoed throughout the whole studio. An unconscious director lay on the floor next to his camera.   
  
"I guess that means that you'll consider it. . ." he mumbled as a fuming Sango walked to catch up with Kagome.   
  
**End of Flash Back**  
  
"Not exactly. . ." Miroku replied uneasily as he laughed nervously. Sango rolled her eyes and turned to Kagome.   
  
"Do you remember a thing that happened last night?" she asked. Kagome took a sip from her cup and shook her head.   
  
"I only remember the club. . .but that's all. I'm sorry, Sango. Maybe it'll come back to me later." Kagome replied. Sango sighed.  
  
Inuyasha stood up from the bed to reveal that his clothing was not too different from Miroku's. He wore nothing but a pair of red boxers. His physique was not too different from Miroku's either. The only difference was that he appeared to be a bit more muscular. Instead of his normal long black hair, it appeared to be a beautiful silver. His violet eyes gleamed to be amber ones, and his white smile now had two fangs added to it. Kagome stared at the cute pair of dog ears on top of his head. Inuyasha walked over to the table and picked up the remote. He sat back down on the bed and turned on the t.v. Sango rolled her eyes and Inuyasha's carelessness.  
  
"Are you sure that you don't remember _anything_?" Sango assured.   
  
"Not at the moment. . .I'm trying to though. Why?" Kagome replied softly.  
  
"Because. . . well. . . I was talking to the house-keeper earlier. . . and she said something. . .something weird. She said that you and Inuyasha were–" Sango's words were cut off by Miroku's tap on her arm.   
  
"Sango! Look!" he said as he pointed to the television.  
  
_"Welcome to another episode of 'It Must Be True'. The only show with the truth behind all celebrities. Rumors, or truth? Here, we find the dirt, the scoop, and all that you need to know. All is here on this episode of 'It Must Be True'!"_ the hostess said. Sango sighed and turned back her head to face Kagome. Inuyasha turned the volume of the t.v. higher.   
  
_"Hello, my name is Kikyo and I will be your host today. Actually, I will be your new host everyday_!" there was laughter heard in the background.   
  
"Look at that wench. . .she's hosting one of these celeb dirt shows." Inuyasha smirked. "Can't believe she's sunken so low as to dirt."   
  
_"Today's scoop will be about new marriages. And well, well, well. . .I guess the juiciest would have to be about our latest couple. . ."_ Kikyo's voice was heard. Sango kept on talking with Kagome, but suddenly turned her head as she saw Kagome's eyes widen. Miroku tapped Sango's shoulder once more for her to look at the television. As she did, her eyes nearly popped out as she saw the vision on the t.v. It was a photo of Kagome and Inuyasha.   
  
_"That's right, viewers! Say congrats to our new married couple! Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi! Who would've thought that this couple would turn out to be married? I wouldn't have. . .heck! And it was me who had been engaged to him first. I guess Higurashi goes for sloppy seconds, eh?"_ Kikyo's mocking laugh was heard from the t.v. Kagome clenched her hands on the bed and grit her teeth.   
  
_"They say it happened just last night when they had a date at the club owned by fashion designer, Ayame, called 'The Wolf's Den'. . ."_  
  
"IT WASN'T A DATE!" Kagome and Inuyasha exclaimed at the television simultaneously.  
  
_". . .Here's what our camera men shot when they arrived at the club. . ."_ Kikyo announced. Sango cupped her hands in her face at the clip. Miroku smacked his forehead as he remembered the scene.   
  
There it was. Inuyasha and Kagome doing the chicken dance and body builder poses. Inuyasha dropped the remote in his hands as he watched in horror. He saw him staring ridiculously at the lights complaining about how it hurt his eyes. Then, it came to the worst.   
  
_". . . Hello, Mr.! This is my friend, Kagome. Isn't she so pretty? She's sings good too!"_ a drunk Inuyasha waved at the camera.   
  
Inuyasha dropped his head and he looked at the carpet. Kagome looked at the back of his head and pitied how embarrassed he probably was.  
  
"Pretty, huh? And I sing good?" Kagome said mockingly as she folded her arms across her chest. Inuyasha lifted his head and turned to her to give an insult, but then the television kept on rolling.   
  
_"And this is my friend, Inuyasha! His movies are awesome! You have got to check them out!"_ Kagome's tiny voice barged in. She turned a shade of pink and waited for Inuyasha to return to her with an insult, but received nothing.   
  
_"I don't mean to be rude or much, but some say that the girl resembles me some. What do you think, audience?"_ Kikyo's voice came in. The background was heard with cries of 'yes'.  
  
_"Does anyone find it odd that Inuyasha marries this girl that resembles I? Especially after our broken relationship? Inuyasha, you're such a dog, you."_ Kikyo's girlish laugh was heard and Inuyasha slowly stood up. His hair covered most of his face, and the room was silent.   
  
_"Anyhow. . .as we speak, our producers are working on trying to get the happy couple to visit for a nice review. Now, who would like that?"_ the audience cheered with applause. _"I suppose that would be a 'yes'. So, we will do all that we can, and hopefully we can get a chance to talk with them. Now, we'll take a quick break and talk about more of your celebrity couples!"  
_  
Inuyasha grabbed the remote from the carpet and turned off the t.v. He sat down on the bed with his face cupped in his hands.   
  
"You. . . were. . .in a relationship with her?" Kagome asked slowly. Inuyasha brought his head up and rolled his eyes.   
  
"What do you think? And where've you been? They only announced it everywhere after she opened her mouth about it." he replied rudely. Kagome brought her head back and sighed.   
  
"And we're?. . . married?" she asked as she looked out the window. Inuyasha gave no reply. "I'm sorry. . ." her voice came up. Sango gently grabbed Miroku's arm and led him out of the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and left the two alone.   
  
"For being married to me? Or just being yourself?" Inuyasha grunted.   
  
"Whichever you feel needs apologizing for." Kagome said silently as she played with her fingers. Inuyasha smirked.   
  
"Both." he said as he found his clothes on a chair in the bedroom.   
  
"Well you don't have to be so rude about it!" Kagome snapped as she stood up from the bed in her underwear and tank top. She looked at her fit and grabbed the blanket.   
  
"What did we do last night?!" she said as she bit her lip nervously.   
  
"Got married and lived happily ever after?" he replied sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.   
  
"No, I meant. . . why are we dressed this way? Did we have se-"  
  
"NO! You have a dirty mind, yennoe that?" Inuyasha broke in her sentence as he placed on his shirt. Kagome sighed with relief as she found a pair of sweats lying about.   
  
"I don't even want to be married with you. . .let alone have an intimate moment." he rolled his eyes.   
  
"Well, you're not exactly Prince Charming! Let's just get a divorce today and end both of our miseries!" Kagome argued. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
  
"Feh. Whatever. As long as I don't have to sleep in the same bed as you. Your scent reeks of no talent" Inuyasha shrugged as he walked out of the room. Kagome's eyes fumed as she followed him.   
  
Sango stood in the living room with her cell phone. Miroku lay on the ground dizzy eyed and with a lump on his head. Wandering hand attempt? Obviously.   
  
"Taijiya. . .get us a divorce." Inuyasha demanded as he snapped at her. She was still on her cell phone and clenched her teeth at the rude actor.   
  
"Uh-huh. . .so there's no way? Really? Right. Right. Yes, I know. Uh-huh. No, this is all perfectly part of an upcoming movie. . . yes. Just to make things seem more realistic. . Okay, yes. Bye." she flipped her phone off and turned to Inuyasha.   
  
"First of all, you don't snap your fingers at me." she said as she slapped his hand away. Inuyasha growled at her. "Second of all, you can't get a divorce since you haven't even been married for two days! Third of all, it would ruin both of your careers if you got divorced so soon."   
  
"So what're we suppose to do?" Kagome asked in a worried tone. Sango walked over to the kitchen table and rubbed her face with her hands. She sighed as she looked at Kagome and Inuyasha.  
  
"You're going to have to pretend." 


	9. Remember the rings

_**Chapter 9 -** Remember the rings_  
  
"You're going to have to pretend." Sango's voice echoed in Kagome's head.   
  
'Pretend?! Pretend? Really? Pretend. We're pretending. Great. Just peachy.' she thought to herself as she stood in shock.   
  
"Wh-wh-what do you mean. . . pretend?" Kagome asks as she sits on a small chair. Inuyasha's smirk is heard from behind her.   
  
"Regardless what we do, or how much we dislike each other, we're still going to play it off as a married couple." he explained as he stepped over Miroku and sat on the couch. Kagome turned to look at him.   
  
"But I hate you." she said annoyed. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and leaned back his head.   
  
"And I hate you." he commented. "But what Taijiya's saying is that the public doesn't have to know that. _Now_ do you understand? Or do you need all of the information to be spoon-fed to you?" he asked mockingly. Sango just gave a deep sigh and got up. She walked towards Miroku as he lay dizzy-eyed and lifted him by his shirt collar.   
  
"I'm sure you two have plenty to discuss. But please, just cope with each other here. It's hard enough as is." Sango dragged Miroku to the door of the hotel room and turned around to face the two once more. She picked up a small brown bag next to the door and held it out to Kagome. "A delivery to the happy couple. The door man came up and said it was for you two." she said as she gave them one final nod and exited the hotel room with Miroku.   
  
Kagome gave her a confused glare and opened the brown bag. There were two small ring boxes. One had the letter 'K' engraved on top of it and the other with an 'I'. Kagome picked up the one with the 'K' and opened it. She gasped as she found the treasure inside. It was a white gold ring with a small heart made of diamonds on it next to an engravement. Kagome gulped as she read the engraving. 'Inuyasha'.   
  
"What is it?" Inuyasha's voice broke into her thoughts as he got up to see what the gift was. Kagome clutched the ring in her fist and tossed him the bag. He growled at her and lifted a brow as he picked up his ring box. He pulled out the ring and brought out one similar to Kagome's.   
  
"Are you sure this is mine? Why does it say your name on it?" he asked confused. Kagome gave a sigh as she opened her fist and looked at the ring.   
  
"These are our wedding rings." she said silently as she turned to show him hers. Inuyasha held out his ring in disgust.   
  
"_These_ are it?" he gave a grunt. "Thought I would've picked something more classy." he said casually as he slipped the ring back into the box and tossed it on the table. Kagome stared in shock at his carelessness.   
  
"How can you do that?" she asked him as she turned around in her chair.   
  
"Do what?" he asked rudely.   
  
"Do _that_! Just throw our wedding rings!" Kagome's voice rose as she stood up from the chair. "I mean, I know that there is no love at all between us. . .but if we're going to be pretending, shouldn't we at least wear the rings?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and picked back up the box.   
  
"Feh. Whatever." he replied as he took out his ring and placed it on his left hand. He observed the ring on his finger and sighed. Kagome looked at him oddly and wondered what he was thinking. He then twisted the ring around his finger so that the part that read 'Kagome' faced down. Kagome looked down at her hand and the ring.  
  
**Flash back**  
  
"How 'bout that one?" Inuyasha asked as he pointed toward a small ring through the glass container. Kagome shook her head hard as she smiled.   
  
"Nope! I want something special! So that everybody knows that I'm Mrs. Inuyasha!" she laughed high-pitched.   
  
"That doesn't sound so bad once you say it, does it?" Inuyasha said dumbly as he scratched his chin. Kagome laughed and lightly hit his shoulder.   
  
"Nope! Nope, not at all!" she said as she shook her head and looked at all of the rings. Kagome gasped as she found a simple white one. She instantly tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve and pointed at it. "Mmp! That one! That one!" she jumped.  
  
"Kinda plain, dontcha think?" Inuyasha said uneasily. Kagome stopped and tilted her head.   
  
"Yeah. . .but it's so purdy!" she said. Inuyasha gave a happy sigh and looked at her.   
  
"What if it had. . .brandings? What's that one word?" he said as he snapped his fingers and tapped his head.   
  
"Err. . .engravings? Sir?" the small store man asked as he stood behind the counter. Inuyasha gave a loud 'A-ha!' and pointed at the little man.   
  
"That's the word! Thank you, Mister! So how 'bout it, Kaggie?" he said as she turned to Kagome.   
  
"Sure!" she answered happily. "With a diamond heart next to it! Because. . ." Kagome stood up proudly. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend!" she sang.   
  
"Diamond hearts it is then, Miss. And engravings?" the store man asked as he grabbed a pen and pencil.   
  
"I want my name!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he hiccuped. "Mine will say 'Kagome'!" he finished. Kagome giggled several times and stopped as she gave a small burp.   
  
"And mines will say 'Inuyasha'! Since that is me!" she laughed as she pointed to herself. The store man was too busy counting up the total to realize that the two were drunk.   
  
"Uh-huh. . .lovely, okay then. Your total will be 14 thousand per ring." the man finished. Kagome and Inuyasha's mouths both dropped.   
  
"So much! So much!" they both recited. Inuyasha felt in his pockets for a wallet, but gasped when he found nothing.   
  
"Damn! I forgot. . .no wallet." he shrugged. Kagome pouted.   
  
"Kagome has nothing either." she said. The two sighed. Suddenly, a light bulb lit in Kagome's head. "What if. . .we gave you something of ours? Then you can sell it on eBAY for a big profit!" she asked. The store man raised an eye brow at the naive girl. He then began thinking.   
  
'Hm. . .a pop-singer and actor. It's priceless.' he thought as to himself as he grinned.   
  
"Okay, then. Ms. Higurashi, you have a deal." the store clerk said as he shook her hand. "Just leave an address where I can send the rings over and I'll be sure to deliver. I'll be closing up soon, so I'll go around the back. Just place whatever you feel needs trading on that chair in the corner. Farewell." he waved and shut off the lights of the glass case.   
  
**End of Flash back**  
  
Kagome instantly remembered the reason of her and Inuyasha's current clothing.   
  
'Oh God. . .it's my fault why we're dressed this way.' she thought in horror as she looked at Inuyasha. He was still in his boxers. 'He probably thinks that it was my fault to get married also.'  
  
She was sure of it that his memory of that event had returned. He turned his head to look at her and their eyes met. Kagome gasped in shock as she turned her head away from his amber eyes. She looked at her ring in her hands and slipped it onto her finger. With the name 'Inuyasha' facing up.   
  
'I bet now she remembers why we're dressed this way. She smells of guilt. Feh. Figures. She's the one that wanted these damn rings.' Inuyasha thought to himself as he looked at his ring. 'It's not so hideous when you get use to it. . .' he shook his head. 'Nevermind. Scratch that thought. It never happened. Never. Nope. Never.'

* * *

"I can't believe that they're married." Sango says for the hundredth time as she sits next to a healed Miroku.   
  
"So I've heard. . ." he said sarcastically as he rubbed his head.   
  
"I mean, I take my eyes off of her for a moment and look what's happened! Ergh!" she banged her head in her hands. "I'm a terrible assistant. I'm a terrible manager! How could I let her do such a thing?!" Miroku stared at the girl with pity and stopped rubbing his pained head.  
  
"You didn't _let_ her get married. She merely did it herself." he tried to comfort her. Sango gave a snort and Miroku realized he wasn't helping much. "For what it's worth. . .I don't think you're a terrible assistant nor manager. You're just having a hard time dealing with things right now." he said calmly. Sango turned her head to look at him. He was smiling at her.   
  
"Everything's just so complicated right now, Mr. Houshi. If Myouga finds out about this. . .I could be fired." she said with a hint of worry in her voice. Miroku winced as she informed him by his last name. . .again. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder.   
  
"You'll get through it, Sango. If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you have the capability to work your way through even the toughest situations." he smiled at her again. Sango looked at him and felt herself blushing. Miroku's smile grew larger at the site of her rosy cheeks. Suddenly, Sango saw Miroku's eyes shift from her face to her chest. She instantly covered them with her arm and slapped him across his face.   
  
"PERVERT!" she exclaimed and got all of the attention of the people in the lobby. She sits up with her arms folded across her chest and far away from a dizzy-eyed Miroku.   
  
"There. . .was. . . a. . ." Miroku tried explaining with an excuse. Sango broke in his sentence with a grunt.   
  
"Save it, Mr. Houshi." she finished sternly. Miroku sighed as he sat on the carpet until he could regain his consciousness. Suddenly, there's a ringing heard to break the silence of the room and Sango picks up her cell phone.   
  
"Taijiya speaking. Yes? Uh-huh. Yes, I'm her temporary manager. Uh-huh. 'It Must Be True'?" Sango answered on the phone. Miroku slowly began to stand up with interest. "Oh. Sure. No, no. It's fine. When? Tomorrow? No, not at all. It's not too late. Okay. Yes. Yes. Okay, bye. See you then." and then she flipped her phone off and placed it into her sweat pocket.   
  
"And who was that? The Grim Reaper?" Miroku asked jokingly. Sango just sighed.  
  
"Close. It was the producers of 'It Must Be True'. They want an interview of the happy couple. . .tomorrow." Sango sighed as she rubbed the temples of her head. Miroku pouted at her stress and sat down in the chair next to her.   
  
"So what now?" he asked. She turned her head and forced him a smile.   
  
"I told them 'okay'. . .Oh God the two are going to kill me." she frowned as she cupped her face in her hands. Miroku sighed and placed his arm around her shoulders. Sango's head shot up and she looked at him. Sure, other men have embraced her that way for comfort, but somehow this time she felt warmth and pure concern. Something she hadn't felt for a long time. . .   
  
"You'll make it. . ." Miroku said calmly as he gave her another smile. "Just don't give up." 


	10. It Must Be True

_**Chapter 10 -** It Must Be True_  
  
After much arguing, yelling, screaming, and slamming, Sango, Inuyasha, and Kagome came to terms and agreed to attend the interview on 'It Must Be True'. A day had passed and Inuyasha was back in his human form. With that relief, it was time for the day of the interview.   
  
Kagome, Inuyasha, and Sango all sit in one black limo together. Kagome is sitting farthest away from Inuyasha. She wears a black off the shoulder sweater with a black tank top underneath. Her bottom finishes with a white miniskirt and black and white Chuck Taylors. Sango sits near the driver's window with her legs crossed in dark blue denim jeans and a puffy black jacket that stops just below the belt line. Her hair is tied up in a high pony tail and she wears her regular magenta eye shadow. She holds a clipboard in her hands and is looking through several papers. Inuyasha sits in the corner of the limo eating a bag of potato chips as he looks out in the window. He wears a white button-up shirt with a white tank top underneath. A few of the buttons are unbuttoned and show part of his chest. He finishes it off with a pair of white shoes and blue jeans.   
  
'Maybe this won't be so bad. . .I mean, it's only lying in front of millions of people and fans out there, right?' Kagome thought to herself sarcastically as she looked out at the window. Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud sound of crunching chips.   
  
"Could you stop chewing so loud?" Kagome asked Inuyasha irritatingly. He paused at his snacking, and gave her a glare.   
  
"I'm not loud. . ." he finally replied. He stuffed several chips into his mouth at once and began crunching them with his mouth wide open. "This would be chewing out loud." he said mockingly. Kagome rolled her eyes.   
  
"You're so immature, Inuyasha." she said smugly as she folded her arms across her chest. Inuyasha just kept on munching on his chips and growled at her.   
  
"Am not. You're one to talk. . . how old are you, anyway? Twelve?" Inuyasha seemed to be begging for an argument. Either that, or he was just too blind to notice that Kagome was already pissed off at him. Sango looked through her papers and tried to ignore the two's conversation.   
  
"For your information, I'm 21. That is, if you can count that high." Kagome smirked to herself.   
  
(**A/N:** Yeah? I see it too. . . 21 looks a little old for Kagome, huh? Ahh. . . well, she DID drink a lot of alcohol and that's the proper age. Not to mention that she's now married. . .so. . .nyeh! :D)  
  
"Yeah? Well I'm 24. That makes me three years older than you in case you had any trouble figuring it out. Either way, I'm older so you should respect your elders you wench." Inuyasha wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and placed the bag of chips next to him. "I'm 21. . if you can count that high." Inuyasha gave a poor mimic of Kagome's insult.   
  
"Oh, right. Real mature, _elder one_. And even if you are older, that doesn't matter now. . . we're husband and wife, remember?" Kagome rolled her eyes as she held up her left hand to reveal her wedding ring. Inuyasha looked down at his lap and clenched his fists.  
  
"I am _not_ your husband." he said sternly. Kagome looked at him oddly.   
  
"And I am _not_ your wife. We just have to pretend we are in the mean time, remember?" she stuck out her tongue at him. "Or do you need the information spoon-fed to you?" she added as she mocked his past insult.  
  
"I'd rather ruin my reputation other than pretend that I'm in love with you." he grunted. Kagome's lips gave a sudden pout, but was brought together in anger.  
  
"Oh yeah? Well I'd rather pretend I was in love with that Kikyo other than you!" Kagome fought. Inuyasha punched his seat with his fist.  
  
"Don't you mention her in this conversation!" he exclaimed. Kagome was taken aback by his reaction. Sango quickly looked up from her clipboard.   
  
"Would you two just stop arguing for one minute?! Gosh, I swear you two act as if you were allergic to each other." Sango said stressfully as she returned her attention to her clipboard. Inuyasha growled at the manager and gave her an evil glare. Kagome just rolled her eyes and took a sip of water from her bottle.   
  
There was silence between the three in the limo. The only sound to be heard was the sound of the car riding over the concrete.   
  
". . .that would be better than having to be married with her." Inuyasha mumbled as he broke the silence. Kagome shot him eye daggers.   
  
"I didn't ask to be married to you either, meat-head!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Would you quit calling me a damn meat-head, you pop-singing wench!?" he yelled back.   
  
"Wench?! How dare you call me that word!"  
  
"Well, I just did. . . what're you gonna do about it? Sing about your misery and do a little choreographed dance?"   
  
Sango slapped her clipboard on the leather seat next to her and looked up at the two. "Enough! Ever since you two have found out that you were married you've been feuding like crazy! You two are both mature adults and should act that way also! Now instead of fighting, just cope with the fact that you two are legally married and play it off as a _happy_ couple for a while, okay?!" Sango shot both of them evil glares.  
  
They brought their heads back in shock at her outburst. Sango straightened her hair with her shaking hand and took a deep breath.  
  
"Now, are there any questions?" she said cheerfully. Inuyasha and Kagome just shook their heads on command and kept quiet. Sango looked out at the window and gently tossed her clipboard next to her. The two flinched at her action, but said nothing.   
  
"Well. . ." Sango said calmly as she took a deep breath. "It's show time."

* * *

"And we're back on today's show of 'It Must Be True'. Hello, I'm your host Kikyo and today we have a special treat for you! Today we have guests Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi here on the spot today to talk about their new marriage. How does that sound, huh?" several cheers were heard in the background.   
  
Kagome stood backstage and watched as Kikyo smiled and waved at the audience. She observed her face with the smiling hostess and realized that it was true. They did have a few similarities.   
  
"Great. I look just like her. . .that just adds another weight of oddness." Kagome mumbled under her breath.   
  
"Don't count on it, Higurashi. She's way better looking than you." a voice came from behind her. Kagome instantly twirled around to see Inuyasha behind her staring off at Kikyo. She raised an eye brow.  
  
"I don't recall asking you, Inuyasha." she replied as she rolled her eyes and walked behind a screen to a mirror so she could put on some lip gloss. Inuyasha just grunted and rolled his eyes as he resumed looking at Kikyo.   
  
"And in just about a few moments, we will return with the couple and ask them questions about their marriage. Stay tuned! Because I'm sure you don't want to miss out on this!" Kikyo waved at the audience once more, and the camera man's voice yelled out with a 'Cut!'. Kikyo then instantly rolled her eyes and her smile faded into an irritated expression. She dropped down her once waving hand and placed it on her head to fix her hair. She walked over backstage, coincidentally passing up Inuyasha.   
  
"Why, Inuyasha. . .hello there. It's been a while, hasn't it?" she said acting shocked to see him there. Inuyasha smirked as he folded his arms across his chest.   
  
"Don't act friendly with me, Kikyo. Who have you told?" Inuyasha asked sternly. Kikyo gave a fake little pout.   
  
"My, what ever so you mean, dear Inuyasha? Told who, what?" she asked innocently. Inuyasha let out an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Stop playing dumb, Kikyo. You know what I mean. . .about what's in my blood? Who have you told?" he asked more powerfully. Kikyo gave a piercing laugh.   
  
"Oh, _that_. Well. . .I never really thought about that little secret till now. And frankly, I couldn't care less about it."  
  
"Oh? And what would you call that little stunt you did on yesterday's damn show?" Inuyasha's stepped closer to her. "Inuyasha, you _dog_, you!" he mimicked her. Kikyo just looked at him and gave a giggle.   
  
"Inuyasha, you think too deep into things. Even when we _were_ engaged you had that silly little habit." Kikyo teased as she lightly pushed his shoulder. Inuyasha gave her a look of disgust.   
  
Little did they know, that Kagome was still behind the make-up screen and was able to overhear their conversation. At first, as she heard their beginning conversation, she felt guilty for eavesdropping. But then, as Inuyasha's tone of voice became more serious, her curiosity overcame here. She leaned her ear on the screen as she held her lip gloss at hand.   
  
'They were. . .engaged?!' Kagome thought to herself in thought. 'And she knows about his demonic blood? Perhaps she was the only one to know. . . that is, besides Miroku. . .'  
  
"Cut the shit, Kikyo. How did Naraku find out?!" Inuyasha burst. Kagome nearly fell over the screen, but kept her balance.   
  
'Naraku!? How'd he get into this?' she questioned herself. Kikyo's silent gasp was heard and there was silence between the two. Suddenly, there was a sound of a deep, menacing laugh.   
  
"What the hell are you laughing at?" Inuyasha's irritated voice came.   
  
"My, Inuyasha. . .you also still have that little temper. You were always a dog at heart." the laugh was heard once more. Kagome could just picture Inuyasha's fists clenching. "But now that I'm on this show. . .you really must be careful the way you act with me. You may never know if I have a hidden camera somewhere. . .recording every awful thing you do. Or perhaps a hidden tape recorder. . .getting the dirt straight out of your mouth." the laugh came louder and Kagome flinched at the threat.   
  
"And Naraku. . .Inuyasha, do you honestly think my heart is cold enough to sell you out to _him_?" Kikyo's voice asked mockingly. Inuyasha's angry smirk was heard.   
  
"Well, it was certainly ice cold when you left me for him." Inuyasha grunted. Kikyo looked at him in shock and held his eyes. His amber pools had a fierce tension, but deep inside she knew what he really felt. He was hurt. She opened her mouth to talk, but was stopped as she heard the camera man call to her.   
  
"Kikyo! You're back on in 5. Get out there!" a man called out. Kikyo turned her head back and gave Inuyasha one last look after she returned to the stage. She smiled and waved at the audience as she gave Inuyasha an odd look.   
  
After the conversation had ended, Kagome instantly brought her head back to herself. She didn't want to hear anymore. It was all too painful. Sure, she hated Inuyasha more than anything, but his personal life with Kikyo was none of her concern.   
  
'Naraku? Kikyo? Inuyasha? How does it all add up?' she thought to herself. Kagome shook her head as she tried to release the nosy thoughts from her head. She resumed putting on her lip gloss until Sango came from behind her.   
  
"Kagome! Get ready. It's almost time for you and Inuyasha to get on stage." Sango said as she dragged Kagome out to the stage.   
  
Kagome walked towards the small chair next to Inuyasha's and sat down on it gently. She crossed her legs and smoothed out her skirt as well as her hair. Inuyasha plopped down on the chair next to her and sat down angrily. Kagome gulped as she sensed how angry he must've been.   
  
"Are you ready?" she whispered. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked at her.   
  
"Ready to practically go against all I am and pretend I'm in love with the one person that I'd least likely be married to? And all for just saving my damn carreer? Sure. Make my day." he smirked. Kagome looked at him in shock and rolled her eyes. He was simply impossible! She folded her arms across her chest and looked away from him.   
  
"And we're back! Now, here we are, audience! And as you can see, give it up for the lovely couple!" the audience gave many claps and Kikyo sat down in a chair facing the two. "So, how are you two today?" she asked in a cheerful tone. Kagome couldn't believe how she could act so calm after her conversation with Inuyasha. Kagome looked backstage and saw Sango gesturing for her to speak and smile.   
  
"We're doing just fine, Kikyo. It's great to be here." Kagome smiled as she shook hands with Kikyo.  
  
'How can she just paint on such a believable smile and not look the least bit uncomfortable in front of Inuyasha?' Kagome thought to herself as she smiled and turned her head to Inuyasha. He was smiling as well and nodded his head.   
  
"Okay, let's get to the point now." Kikyo laughed. "Now when did you two first realize you felt something for each other?" Kagome paused for a second, and just knew that Inuyasha reacted the same way. She gave a small, fake laugh and turned her head.  
  
_'The very first moment I saw him. I felt the strong passion of hate. Ergh! He gets me so angry that I wish I could just chop off all of that black hair off of his head and make him look like a real guy!'_ Kagome said to herself in her thoughts.   
  
"Well. . .I suppose it started in our very first movie together. . .well, that was for me anyway. How about you, Inuyasha?" Kagome said as she turned her head. Inuyasha gave her a comforting smile that was obviously plastic.   
  
_'This wench is just begging for it, isn't she?'_ Inuyasha thought to himself in despair.   
  
"For me. . .it was the first moment I saw her." he added charmingly. The females in the audience all were wooed with 'aww's. Kagome wanted to roll her eyes so badly, but resisted the urge as she blinked her eyes powerfully.   
  
"Really? How romantic!" Kikyo commented as she clapped her hands. "And I see you two have your wedding rings on. They're lovely!"   
  
"Yes, I'm quite thankful that I was lucky enough to find such a husband with great taste." Kagome smiled as she nodded her head. She turned to look at Inuyasha. His smile showed a flash of mockery.   
  
_'He must be enjoying this. . .that jerk.'_ Kagome thought to herself.   
  
_'And she had the nerve to call me fake. . . that little wench.'_ he thought to himself.   
  
"Yes, you are one lucky one, Kagome." Kikyo finally said as she smiled. "Inuyasha, I notice this with your ring. Why does yours seem to be turned around? Are you two already having troubles?"   
  
_'He's a pain in the ass. . .that's the trouble.'_ thought Kagome.  
  
"Oh? This?" Inuyasha gave a plastic laugh. "Nah. We're not troubled at all." he casually brought his chair closer to Kagome and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Kagome tensed at their closeness. "It just somehow slipped that way. No troubles at all."  
  
_'Except for the fact that she looks like you. . .'_ Inuyasha thought in his head.

"So, what's it like so far being married?" Inuyasha and Kagome instantly thought the same exact thing in their minds.   
  
_'Horrible.'_  
  
Sango stood still backstage as she watched the two answer sugar coat all of the questions being thrown to them by Kikyo. She began biting her nails as she thought up of ways to tell them that they had several other interviews to go to. Sango sighed to herself as she couldn't bear to watch any more of the uneasiness. It was going to be a long, long, day. . .


	11. Stubborn mind

(**A/N:** Hello readers. . .yeah. I'm sure most of you are wondering when the romance will kick in, hm? Yeah. . .don't worry. I know everything's just a bit boring at the moment, but I'm just piecing things together. It should start coming in on the next few chapters. Pretty close to it though. Have no fear! The romance is on it's way! Voooooooooossssshhhhh!! By the way. . . anyone catch the Dashboard Confessional music video for 'Vindicated'? From Spider-man 2! Woohoo! Coming to a theatre near you! :D)

* * *

_**Chapter 11 -** Stubborn minds  
_  
  
"Why don't you two show the camera some love? Come on, don't be shy. Would it be asking too much for a bit of affection on camera?" the interviewing lady asked with her raspy voice. She cocked her head back and nearly screamed her crazed laugh. Sango sighed at the request and smacked her hands on her forehead.   
  
_'Please. . .stay. . .calm. . .'_ she chanted as she watched Inuyasha clench his fists.   
  
"Oh. . .sure. Of course that would be fine. We only show affection every day. . .don't we, love?" Kagome said as she tried hiding back her exasperation. Inuyasha closed his eyes for a few seconds as he tried to hold back his annoyance.   
  
"Yes. . .of course. . ." he replied as he grit his teeth. ". . .dearest." Inuyasha then stood up from his couch and held out his arms to Kagome. Kagome shifted her eyes to Sango and then back to Inuyasha.   
  
_'Just get up wench. . . I don't want to do this just as much as you don't.'_ Inuyasha thought to himself. Kagome stood up and wrapped her arms around the black haired actor.   
  
"About time, wench." he mumbled to Kagome as her head reached the fair closeness. Kagome clenched her teeth and pulled his hair in the section that camera man couldn't see. Inuyasha bit his tongue as he tried to hold back his sudden pain.   
  
"Can it, meat-head." she mumbled back to him. Kagome released herself from Inuyasha's embrace and sat back down on the couch.  
  
"Lovely, absolutely, lovely." the interview lady said with her raspy voice. "Now, what was the honeymoon like? Ravishing?" she crossed her legs in her chair and looked at the two intently. She smiled and showed off her huge, white teeth. Kagome and Inuyasha tensed up at her current question. By this point, Sango figured that the two already suffered enough hell for the day.   
  
"Uhh, excuse me. I'm sorry, but that's all the time we have for today." Sango whispered to the camera man as she clutched her clipboard.   
  
"B-but we're still asking questions." he said dully without turning his head to speak with her. The camera man kept his eyes focused on the camera. A vein popped on Sango's forehead.  
  
"But, you see, they've already been to enough interviews today. They do need their rest." she tried to say as cheerfully as she could. The camera man just kept his eyes focused on the camera.  
  
"Nope. Sorry, Lady. I got my job to do." he replied. Another vein popped on Sango's forehead. Instantly, she grabbed hold of the man's shirt collar and yanked for him to face her. He looked at her in shock.  
  
"Lady, what in the hell do you think you're doi-" his words were cut off.   
  
"Listen, boy. . camera man. . . dude. . .or whatever the hell your name is. It's been a long day, and you would know what one would feel like if you did more than just sit on your lazy ass recording hard-working people. Now, when I say it's over. It's over. And you know what, buddy?" she paused and looked over at the other workers around the studio. They were all looking at her with shock and fright. Sango turned her head back to the camera man. "It's over."   
  
The camera man nodded and Sango finally let go of his collar. He instantly resumed to his camera and shut it off.   
  
"Uhh. . .that's enough for today." he broke in on the interview lady. Kagome and Inuyasha sat back in their chairs with relief.   
  
"But. . .But Midge, I still had a question." the interview lady whined when she turned around.   
  
"Yes, Darla. . .I know. But. . .uhh. . . well. . . someone wants. . ." he turned his head and looked at Sango. She was shooting him eye daggers. "I ran out of film." he lied. The interview lady gave a sigh and nodded her head. She waved good-bye to the two celebrities and walked off.   
  
"Are you two okay?" Sango said as she walked over to the two.   
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Sango. . .that question really got me." Kagome sighed and laughed. Inuyasha just shrugged and walked ahead of the two girls.   
  
"Shouldn't you be thanking Sango also, Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice calleed back to him. He paused and turned around.   
  
"Why should I? It was her fault in the first place we had to go to these damn interviews." he replied. Kagome's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I don't think you have the right to say that. And even if she was the source of all of these things, she just saved your butt from another personal question!" she defended. Sango just sighed and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder.  
  
"Feh. Whatever. Don't wait up for me. I called a limo to pick me up beforehand. Later." Inuyasha gave a poor flick of his hand and walked out of the studio.   
  
"Don't worry, Kags. I understand Inuyasha's annoyance anyhow. It's been a long, long, long, day. And I can assure you that there will be more interviews other than that." Sango forced a small laugh. "Let's just head back to the hotel, shall we?"

* * *

"So, how were the interviews?" Miroku asked as he sat down on the couch reading the latest issue of 'Real People, Real Life'. Inuyasha just grunted as he tossed his keys on the kitchen table.   
  
"Great. Just great." he replied sarcastically as he plopped down on the couch across from Miroku.   
  
"That bad, hm?" Miroku gave a small smile. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes and grabbed the remote.   
  
"You have no idea." he turned on the television and flipped through the channels. Miroku just shook his head and resumed reading the magazine. After several minutes of silence, Inuyasha's voice came through again. "It's like people have never seen a newly married couple or whatever."  
  
"Maybe it's just a big shock since the media didn't even know you two were dating?" Miroku said as he kept his eyes on his magazine.  
  
"Because we weren't." Inuyasha snorted as a statement.   
  
"Exactly." Miroku concluded. Inuyasha looked at him confused, but then sighed and faced the t.v. again. "It's the pain of publicity, my friend. Everyone wants a piece of the action."   
  
"I'd like to give them a piece of my mind." Inuyasha grunted as he cracked his knuckles. Miroku just gave a small chuckle. "Yennoe, I could've married anyone else. . .but it had to be _her_."   
  
"What do you mean?" At this point, Miroku realized that Inuyasha was in a talking mood and he wouldn't get very far on reading his magazine. He book-marked a page and lightly tossed it on the table.   
  
"Why didn't I marry Ayame or Taijiya? Why did it have to be Kagome? Out of all of the millions of girls at that club the other night. . .why her?" Inuyasha once again flipped the channels of the television and pretended to be concentrating. Miroku stretched his arms on the couch and placed his hands behind his head.  
  
"Fate works in mysterious ways." Miroku shrugged. "And if you were happened to be married to Taijiya, I'd reconsider paying for all those drinks." he laughed. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.   
  
"How's your 'plan' going so far, by the way? Have you learned to befriend her with your mouth and not your hands?" Inuyasha said mockingly. Miroku gave a defeated sigh.   
  
"Well, we talk more now. But she's so caught up with her work that we have nothing else to talk about besides Kagome." Miroku sighed as he stood up from the couch and made his way to the kitchen.   
  
"If there's one thing that I know for sure about Taijiya. . .it's that she's one hard-working business woman." Inuyasha commented. Miroku nodded his head in agreement. "You must really want her, huh?" Inuyasha went on.   
  
"How could you tell?" Miroku asked sarcastically. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.  
  
"It takes a lot of determination for a guy to stay with a woman that talks about an annoying wench like Higurashi." Inuyasha scoffed. Miroku just shook his head and laughed.   
  
"C'mon. . .Kagome's a sweet girl. She can't be _that_ bad." Miroku stated as he handed Inuyasha a can of Coke.   
  
"What would you know? You're not _married_ to that thing." Inuyasha replied as he popped open the can.   
  
"You've only been married for what? A day? Don't go on acting like you know her in and out. Sango seems to really care for the girl. . .so that should be a good sign. Just give it a try" Miroku shrugged his shoulders and took a sip from his soda.   
  
"Feh. Whatever. I could care less about Kagome and Sango. I only need about a year and a half till we can get a divorce. That's all." Inuyasha paused for a moment, and shook his head.. "Thankfully she's not here right now. . .it's hell whenever she's near. My teeth grind just at the thought of her voice."  
  
Miroku just shook his head in disbelief at his friend's reaction. "Why do you hate her so much?" he finally got the courage to ask. Inuyasha just looked at him oddly.  
  
"Because she's one of those spoiled little pop-singers that want to invade another profession for bigger money. I thought you knew." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders.   
  
"I don't believe you." Miroku glared at him. Inuyasha just raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, what did you expect?"   
  
"I mean, I don't believe your reason. Something's holding you back, Inuyasha. And if it's who I think it is then I assure you–" Miroku's words were cut off as Inuyasha stood up from the couch. He placed his soda on the table and turned off the t.v.  
  
"No. It's not _her_. Don't even mention her name in front of me. Kagome and her are two different people, I know. I just hate the girl, okay? I hate them both. Case closed." Miroku opened his mouth to speak, but closed it the moment Inuyasha began walking towards his room. "I'm off to bed. It's been a long day." he finished. Miroku shrugged his shoulders and sighed.   
  
"All right then. Get your rest, Inuyasha. . ." Miroku then bit his lip in remembrance. "Tomorrow you and Kagome start shooting my new movie. . .so wake up early." Inuyasha paused at Miroku's call. He turned around and stared at the director's head. Miroku sat down and bit his lip nervously as he sat in the room in silence.   
  
_'So far. . .so goo-'_ Miroku's thoughts were cut off as a shoe smacked the back of his head. As Miroku rubbed the throbbing area, he heard a door slam.   
  
_'Oh yeah. . .so far. . .so good.'_

* * *

"Sango? Is that you?" Kagome yawned as she slowly got up from her bed. The sun shone brightly on her face and she had no effort to block it.   
  
"Oh! You're awake! Perfect!" Sango jumped as she walked into the bedroom. She was wearing light blue jeans with a green, yellow, white, and pink striped cotton belt. Her hair was down, unlike usual, and she wore a white spaghetti strap tank top.   
  
"Wow. . .someone's looking foxy today. I see you've been taking my advice and stopped pulling back your bangs, hm? So, who's the dressing for, eh?" Kagome laughed as she put her hands on her waist. Sango gave her a small smile and blushed. Kagome's mouth slightly dropped in shock. "No way! You're kidding me! You're serious?"   
  
"No! Of course not!" Sango said quickly to her defense. The blush on her cheeks grew darker as she looked away from Kagome.  
  
"Wow, Sango. . .so, who's the lucky guy?" Kagome teased. Sango gave a small smile and played with her phone.   
  
"Can't I look nice for myself?" Sango shrugged her shoulders. "Not everything I think about is guys, you know."   
  
"More like. . .not _anything_ you think about is guys." Kagome restated as she laughed. Sango stuck out her tongue and threw a pillow at her.   
  
"So what's on the schedule for today, Manager?" Kagome finally asked after a few more giggles.   
  
"Oh! Today. . .you're going to be starting on shooting your movie with Inuyasha." Kagome made a sour face. "What?" Sango asked.   
  
"I can't believe I'm going to have to see him again." Kagome rolled her eyes. Sango gave a small chuckle.  
  
"Well, Kags. . .you _are_ married to him, remember?"   
  
"Yeah, I know. . .but he hates me, and the feeling is obviously mutual." Kagome said as she turned around.   
  
"Give it a few days. Come on, he can't be _that_ bad. You two must have some things in common. Give it a try and talk with him." Sango shrugged her shoulder and gestured for Kagome to get ready.   
  
"I guess. . .whatever." Sango gave Kagome a glare. "Fine. I'll _try_."


	12. First effort

(**A/N:** Oh, this would be to dArKaNgElA076. Haha, thank you for the ideas, and I'll be sure to consider them. Also, don't worry about those confusing points because I'm currently working on puzzling them out. :) I've never really written in the form of a different P.O.V. but it seems really fun from what I've read in different ff. Mmkay, well once again, thank you for the ideas and thank you for reviewing my story! :D Thank you to all of my other reviewers! You guys are great. . .and I'm again sorry for the delay of fluff.)

* * *

_**  
Chapter 12 -** First effort_  
  
_'Give it a try'_ Sango's voice echoed in Kagome's mind as she stood in the studio. About two hours had passed and her make-up and costume were already prepared. All that was left to do was to start shooting. Unfortunately, Miroku somehow misplaced his film and delayed the shooting by a day. The whole crew was searching for it, including Sango.   
  
"What a waste of time coming here just to say some lines when I could be doing that back at the hotel. What to do. . .what to do. . ." Kagome sighed with a bored tone as she looked around. Her arms were folded across her chest as she tapped her foot on the hard cement floor. Suddenly, the scent of an irresistible aroma flooded her nose.   
  
_'Mmm. . . smells delicious.'_ Kagome thought to herself heavenly as she sniffed the air. Her stomach began growling violently as she stood. _'And I haven't had anything to eat at all this morning. . .' _  
  
She walked her way towards the food table and caught sight of the source. There were several different kinds of foods placed on it waiting to be eaten. Kagome licked her lips with delight as she walked towards the long table.   
  
"So many things to choose from. . .what to eat, what to eat." Kagome murmured to herself as she looked at the food longingly. Finally, she found interest at a small egg roll sitting peacefully on a tray. Luckily, it had been the last one. Kagome smiled to herself as she brought her arm out to pick it up, but paused as another arm instantly grabbed it.   
  
"Well that was rude." Kagome said to herself in shock. She looked over to see who the egg roll thief was. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the culprit. "Inuyasha."  
  
"The one and the only." he said nonchalantly as he dangled the egg roll over his mouth.   
  
"That was mine first, and you knew it!" Kagome whined as she stood up in front of him. He raised his eye brow at her.   
  
"Last time I checked, everything was for anyone. No calls. No dibbs. Just take." Inuyasha replied to her cooly. "And plus, you were too slow to grab." Kagome bit her lip with frustration, only to remember she was wearing lipstick.   
  
"Damn it. Now I'm going to have to get that fixed again." she exclaimed to herself as she touched her lips. Inuyasha looked at her oddly.   
  
"What?" she scowled at him. Kagome woke up far too early and was already irritated to put up with him today. "Haven't you seen make-up before?"  
  
_'Just give it a try. . .'_  
  
"Yeah. I just don't understand why you would wear any of it. Here." he dangled the egg roll in front of her face. "Take it. It doesn't interest my hunger anymore."   
  
Kagome gave him an odd stare, but reluctantly accepted the egg roll. "Thanks. . ." she muttered. Inuyasha just shrugged and walked over to another side of the table. He picked up a bowl of ramen and began slurping. Kagome nibbled on her food silently as she shifted her eyes towards him.   
  
"It was for the beginning scene." she finally said as she pulled the egg roll away from her face. Inuyasha turned to face her and looked at her confused.   
  
"The make-up. . ." she added. "It's for a scene in the movie. I don't wear it often."   
  
"Feh. It's not like you need to." Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders and resumed eating his ramen. Kagome gave a small chuckle.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked hiding the true curiosity in his voice.   
  
"That's gotta probably be the first nice thing you've said to me. You know, since we got. . .hitched." Kagome shrugged as she continued eating her piece of food. Inuyasha looked at her for a few minutes, and then back at his ramen.   
  
"So you're a ramen fan, hm?" her voice came again. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and turned to her. Kagome looked at him and instantly began to laugh.   
  
"Wah arr oo larghing aht?" (What are you laughing at?) Inuyasha asked. Kagome just shook her head as she tried to control her laughter.   
  
"You just. . ." Laugh. "Your cheeks. . ." Laughter again. "The ramen. . ." Laugh. Laugh. "It's just adorable." Inuyasha raised his eye brow and swallowed his mouthful of noodles.   
  
"Mind putting that in a sentence that makes sense?" he finally asked as Kagome caught her breath.   
  
"The ramen in your mouth made your cheeks all puffy. . .it was adorable." she finished, but then paused at her sentence and started to blush.   
  
_'Oh. . .I just called him adorable. Yeesh, Kagome. Could've kept that in your thoughts. . .but nooo, you just had to say it out loud, didn't you?'_ Kagome thought to herself with grief, but forced a smile.   
  
_'Is she sick or something? Her face is getting all red. . .'_ Inuyasha thought to himself confused.   
  
"Feh. You would look adorable too if you shut your mouth once in a while." Inuyasha shrugged as he placed down his bowl and grabbed a piece of bread. Kagome's smile faded.   
  
_'He's impossible! The one time things were going a little smoothly! Ergh! I knew it. He's hopeless.'_ Kagome thought to herself.   
  
"Well, maybe I would be more quiet if you would stop acting like such a stubborn mule!" Kagome fought in her defense.  
  
"Stubborn mule?! How many insults go through that tiny head of yours?!"  
  
"I probably carry more insults and more knowledge in this _tiny_ head than the air that you carry in that _big_ head of yours!" Kagome's voice rose.   
  
"Attention all actors and actresses. We apologize for the delay. The director has announced that shooting will be put off till tomorrow. Please take your spots, Mr. Houshi has decided for scene rehearsals.. I repeat, the director is ready for rehearsals. Please take your spots." the intercom called out as Kagome and Inuyasha argued.   
  
"Ergh!" the two scowled at each other and walked off at separate ways. Seconds later they returned to the table as they realized they were going to be filming the same scene.   
  
"Wench." Inuyasha muttered under his breath as he walked next to Kagome.   
  
"Dough-head." Kagome muttered in return.

* * *

"How could you have misplaced your film?!" Sango asked in disbelief as she walked next to a frustrated director.   
  
"I don't know!" Miroku said as he scratched the back of his head stressfully. "I guess, to say the least, I'm not the most organized guy in the world."  
  
"Could've fooled me." Sango said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "Where's your assistant?"  
  
"Don't have one." Miroku replied as he opened up a drawer only to release several of pieces of papers flying around the room. He instantly bent down to pick them all up. Sango rolled her eyes and began helping him.   
  
"Then take my advice. . ." she began as she hurried to gather the papers. ". . .get one." she finished. Miroku looked at her and gave a small smile.   
  
"I'll keep that in mind." he said as she handed him the papers. He shoved them back in the drawer and rummaged under his weak wooden dek.  
  
"A-ha!" he shouted. Sango nearly fell at his out burst. "I've found it!" he finally said as he dangled a round box of film. "Now I'm all set for tomorrow."  
  
"Oh yeah. You definitely need an assistant." Sango sighed as she followed him out of the office room.

* * *

"Okay, people. . ." Miroku began as he cupped his hands together. "Today we will be working on the first scene of the trilogy. Has everyone brought their scripts?"  
  
Kagome cursed under her breath as she stomped her foot.   
  
_'Damn! I didn't know we were supposed to bring ours.'_ she thought to herself.   
  
"Err. . . excuse me!" her small voice echoed in the studio. "I. . .must've forgotten mine. Would there happen to be any extras?"   
  
Miroku sighed, but smiled at Kagome's request. He glanced over towards his office, and looked at all of the forced papers in their drawers. "I'm afraid not, Ms. Higurashi." he replied. Miroku pitied the small frown on the young girl's face. He then looked at Inuyasha, who was busy over-looking his script. A sudden smile of triumph appeared on the director's face. "But perhaps you can share with your husband, Inuyasha."   
  
Kagome froze and she looked at Miroku oddly. Then, her eyes shifted over to Inuyasha, who's eyes were shooting daggers at Miroku. The cast looked at the couple and waited till she accepted. Kagome looked at the crew, and remembered that only Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and herself knew about the 'accidental' marriage.   
  
"Oh, of course. . .that would be just. . ." her eyes shifted back to Inuyasha. He was looking at her. ". . .perfect."  
  
"Okay then. Let's get started now, eh?" Miroku clapped his hands together and winked at Sango. She smiled to herself as she realized his intentions for the two.   
  
"You realize what you're doing, right?" Sango whispered to Miroku as he sat down in his director's seat.   
  
"Oh, I know what I'm doing. . ." he nodded to her. "It's just that I'm not considering the consequences." he chuckled. Sango rolled her eyes and smiled.   
  
"Alright. . .Act one, Scene one. Let's get set people. We haven't got all day." Miroku called out as he waited for everyone to get in position.   
  
Kagome walked slowly towards Inuyasha who was still observing the script.   
  
"Uh. . Inuyasha?" she said hesitantly. He looked up from his script and looked at her.   
  
"Oh yeah. I have to share mine with you, huh?" he said dully. Kagome sighed and nodded her head. She read some of the words on the script and tried to memorize them in her head. Her concentration was cut off as Inuyasha began reciting his lines out loud.   
  
"Do you mind? I'm trying to remember my lines." Kagome asked irritatingly. Inuyasha just smirked.  
  
"Obviously you haven't been in the acting business too long, have you?" he began. Kagome remained silent, wondering what he meant. "When you really want something to process in your brain, to memorize something you say it out loud. With that, it goes through your mind and your mouth."  
  
Kagome nodded her head as she understood. Inuyasha obviously had more experience in acting and she began to understand why he must've scorned her so much.   
  
"Where'd you learn that?" she swallowed her pride and asked. Inuyasha gave a mocking grunt.   
  
"It's just common knowledge." he began. "It's something that builds up naturally in my, so you say, big head." Kagome blushed at his sarcasm, but chose not to argue.   
  
"Could I just. . ." she finally said as she tried looking at the paper. Kagome grabbed the other side and pulled it towards her, so that the other end of the paper was held by Inuyasha's hand. "There you go. Now I can read." Kagome sighed with relief. Inuyasha scoffed at her rudeness, but carried on rehearsing.   
  
It wasn't until after a few minutes did Kagome realize how close her and Inuyasha's faces were. As she held her side of the paper, she shifted her head to the side. There it was. Inuyasha's face, looking hard on the booklet. She looked at him for a few moments and gulped.   
  
His violet eyes were fixed on the pages, looking up and down as he read the words. His mouth mouthing the words as they tried to stay fixed in his brain. Kagome held onto her side of the script as she stared at the side of the boy's face. His eyes suddenly moved to the corner as he felt something looking at him. Kagome instantly moved her head back to face the script. A tinge of pink flushed on her cheeks.   
  
_'He's not such a bad looking guy after all. . .'_ Kagome thought to herself. _'I mean, I could probably find him somewhat cute. . .EEP! Get back on track, Kagome! You don't have the time to be thinking about that jerk! He's not worth it! Right? Right. But then again how would I know, I mean. . .I haven't gotten the time to actually know him. . . maybe if I—wait, what?!'   
  
_Inuyasha kept his head in the position as he looked at the side of Kagome's face. Her eyes were glued to the typed up words on the script. He gulped as he smelled the sweet fragrance of her hair, and the sparkle of her eyes from the reflection of the lighting.  
  
_'Her eyes glisten just like Kikyo's. . .'_ Inuyasha thought to himself sadly. _'But her fragrance. . .is nothing like hers. It's. . .different. It's. . .well, nice. Damnit, I'm turning soft. Keep your mind on your work and not on squirmy little pop singers. . .'_ he turned his head back to the script._ 'No matter how cute they are. Wait! Cute?! What the hell?! Note to self: stop watching things on the Women's Network even if you're bored.'_  
  
The two looked at their script, but their eyes alternated on shifting to look at each other. Eventually, they shifted at the same time and caught each other staring from the corners of their eyes. Immediately, their attention was back on the booklet.   
  
_'Was he just–? No. . .couldn't have been. . . could he?'_   
  
_'Ramen, Ramen, Ramen-Think of anything else-Ramen, Ramen, Ramen-other than what just happened-Ramen, Ramen. . .'_

* * *

"Someone's looking lovely today." Miroku said randomly as Sango observed the crew. She turned towards him and gave him a suspicious glare.   
  
"And someone's looking for trouble today." she replied.  
  
"Is that some sort of threat?" he asked playfully. Sango merely shrugged.   
  
"That, and an observation." she pointed towards Inuyasha and Kagome. "You do realize that with the position you've put them in, Inuyasha's bound on giving you a sincere ass-kicking?"  
  
"Hmm. . .yes." Miroku replied as he scratched his chin. "But I'm not sure if I'm due for an ass-kicking. . . or an ass-kissing."   
  
"Excuse you?" Sango said shocked.   
  
"You see. . .if Inuyasha gets fed up with Kagome enough, he'll be begging and pleading for me to change his part. Either that. . .or begging me to keep him as his part." Miroku smiled to himself. Sango just rolled her eyes.   
  
"Just so you know, what you're doing is not helping their relationship as a married couple at all." she said annoyed.  
  
"And how can you be so sure of that, Lady Sango?"  
  
"It's just going to make them hate each other even more!"   
  
"From what I see. . .hatred may be the last thing on their minds." Miroku said calmly as he pointed to the slightly blushing faces of Kagome and Inuyasha. Sango's eyes widened with shock as she looked at the two. She then looked at Miroku, who was smiling triumphantly.  
  
"So what do you predict, Sango? Ass-kicking? Or ass-kissing?" Miroku smiled at her. Sango raised an eye brow as she was about to answer until she felt 'wandering hand'.   
  
"PERVERT!" her voice echoed in throughout the set.   
  
"Ass-kicking or ass-kissing. . .whatever! Just keep your hands away from me and their ass-touching!" Sango said with rage as she turned her head and walked away. 


	13. Morning news

_**Chapter 13 -** Morning news  
_  
**-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --**  
_"Inu. . .yasha. . ." a soft, feminine voice whispers. Inuyasha's dog ears begin to twitch at the gentle voice.   
  
"Inuya. . .sha. . ." it called again. Inuyasha slowly opens his eyes, only to shut them tightly again as a bright, white, light pierce his amber eyes._  
  
(**A/N:** Hey cool! I rhymed. . .again. Teehee!)  
  
_"Inuyasha. . .open your eyes, Inuyasha. . ." the voice whispers again, making his soft dog ears twitch even more. Forcefully, he opens his eyes and sees a bright light.   
  
"Wha–! Wh-where am I?" he quickly sits up from where he thought he was in his bed. Only to see, that he is in a bed, but one very different from his. The sheets, blanket, and pillow cases are all a soft, creme white color. Inuyasha looks at his hands and sees that he has claws. A strand of his silver hair crosses his face, and with a blow of his breath, he places it back.   
  
"M-m-my demon form?" Inuyasha stutters as he realizes his condition. "B-but where am I?"   
  
"Inuyasha. . ." the voice that awoke him whispers once again. Inuyasha's ears try to pick up where the sound began. He looks around the bright area quickly.   
  
"Who. . .are you?" he asks.   
  
"Inuyasha. . ." the voice calls out one more time.   
  
"You ever hear the saying 'That's my name, don't wear it out'. . .Well, whoever you are, you're really wearin' out my name!" Inuyasha growled. His ears began to twitch once more, and a familiar scent flowed through his nose.   
  
"Inu. . .yasha. . ." a voice called from behind him. He instantly turned around.   
  
"Ki-Ki-Kikyo?" he forced out in disbelief. A girl with long, black hair elegantly glided into the room. She wore a white silk dress that flowed somehow. Inuyasha kept his eyes on the girl as she walked around the bed he sat on.   
  
"Inu. . .yasha. . ." she whispered again. Inuyasha gulped as he looked at the girl.   
  
"Kikyo. . .what're you doing here? Where am I?" the girl moved closer to him, sitting right across to where he was on the bed. She looked at him intently, locking her brown eyes into his amber ones.   
  
"What will become. . .." Kikyo's voice echoed in the bright room. She kept her eyes intertwined with his. "What will become of us?"  
  
Inuyasha tried to look away from her stare, but somehow his head would not move. Kikyo's hand gently came over to caress his cheek. Inuyasha pulled his head away before she could touch him. Her hand paused at the area where his cheek would've been. She looked at him and her eyes glistened with pain.   
  
"Inuyasha. . ." she whispered again. Inuyasha shifted his head back to face her. She was slowly fading away. His eyes instantly began to widen.   
  
"Kikyo! Wh-where are you g-going?!" he asked as her body faded. She gave him a faint smile and closed her eyes.   
  
"Good-bye. . . Inuyasha. . ." her figure whispered just as it turned into thin air. Inuyasha stood in the bright room, still staring in shock at the area where she had disappeared. He then fell onto his knees and clutched the creme-colored blanket.   
  
"Ki–" his voice nearly cracked. "Kikyo. . ."  
_**-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --**  
****  
  
"PERVERT!" a familiar voice exclaimed behind Inuyasha's door. Inuyasha quickly opened his eyes as he looked at the time. It read 8:03 AM. He instantly shot up in his bed.   
  
"Gah! Wha-wha-what?!" he exclaimed in shock. He looked at his hands and saw that he had no claws. He placed his hands on his head to feel no soft ears. Finally, he stood up and looked in the mirror only to see he had black hair. He was human.   
  
Inuyasha stood in front of the mirror, and paused for a moment._ 'It was. . .a dream. . .'_ he thought to himself as he sat down on his bed. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed.  
  
_'Why are you back in my thoughts, Kikyo?'_ he thought to himself in despair. _'I thought I shut you out years ago. . .but it appears that you're coming back.'  
_  
"GET AWAY, YOU LECHER!" a female voice screamed behind the door once again. It had torn between Inuyasha's thoughts and he raised his eye brow. He got up and stretched out his arms before opening his bedroom door.   
  
_'Amazing. A room server that actually has some self-respect and notices that a butt-rub from a stranger is harassment. And for a while I thought the only woman that had that knowledge was–'_ But Inuyasha's thoughts were cut as he walked out of his room only to see a vein-headed Sango standing over a dizzy-eyed Miroku with two red hand marks on both his cheeks.   
  
"Taijiya?" he called out confused. Sango's fuming eyes shifted to him, and calmed down.  
  
"Good morning, Inuyasha." she greeted normally.   
  
"What're you doing here?" Inuyasha asked curiously as he stepped over his best friend.   
  
"Well. . .you see. . .uhh. . ." Sango stuttered. She began to laugh nervously. Inuyasha looked at her oddly, he opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when another guest walked in.   
  
"And this is the last of my luggage. Whew, that was a lot." Kagome's voice came in as the hotel room door closed. She wiped the beads of sweat off of her forehead and she turned to look where Sango stood, but paused when she saw Inuyasha. "Oh. . .good morning." she muttered dully.  
  
"What're you doing here?" he asked coldly. Kagome rolled her eyes as she dragged the large cart of her luggage across the room. Inuyasha gave her a cold stare as she passed by him. "What're you doing? Why are your things going to Miroku's room?" Sango sighed as Kagome just shrugged off Inuyasha's questions and slammed the door to the bedroom.   
  
"You see, Inuyasha. . .Kagome will be staying here for a while." Miroku said slowly as he got up from his fierce hits on the face.   
  
"WHAT?!" Inuyasha exclaimed as his friend got up. "That thing will be staying with _us_?!"  
  
"Not exactly. . ." Miroku said doubtfully. Inuyasha sighed with relief for a second, until Miroku finished his sentence. "It's more like. . .she'll be staying with you." Inuyasha fell down anime-style on the carpet floor.   
  
"Inuyasha, why don't we take a stroll outside and talk for a while, hm?" Sango said as she pitied the actor's grief.   
  
"Feh." the actor replied. Sango could tell he was still terribly confused, but figured that she wouldn't let him know she noticed.   
  
"We could go to. . .uhh" she looked at Miroku with a 'help-me-out-here' look. He then clued her in with an imaginary bowl of soup and began slurping an invisible noodle. Sango instantly nodded her head and walked towards Inuyasha. "We could go to a ramen stand, or something?"  
  
Inuyasha turned around slowly and gave her a suspicious glare. Sango just looked at him with wide eyes and smiled. He gave an exasperated sigh and nodded his head. "I'll be out in 15."   
  
Sango sighed with relief at the actor's reply. She sank on the couch and rubbed her temples. "I'll explain it to him, while you help out Kagome with her luggage." she explained to Miroku. A grin appeared on his face and Sango gave him a threatening glare. She grabbed him from the collar and looked at him straight in the eye.   
  
"You better not try anything lecherous. If you do, I will find out, and when I find out. . .you better start running. Far, far away." she threatened. Miroku gulped as he nodded his head. She released him from her grasp as she sat back down on the couch.   
  
After minutes of silence, Inuyasha walked out from his bedroom and walked over to the couches.   
  
"You ready?" he asked as Sango shot up her head and nodded. She took one final turn as she reached the door.   
  
"Remember, Mr. Houshi. . ." she warned. He nodded his head as he knew what she meant.   
  
"I know, I know. . ." he replied. And just as Sango closed the door to the hotel room, he called out to her. "And it's Miroku! None of the Mr. Houshi business."  
  
Sango just rolled her eyes as she walked down the hallway next to Inuyasha. He wore dirty-colored jeans, with orange strikes through them; white shoes; and an orange sweatshirt.   
  
Sango wore a black female business suit. Her pants were loose like slacks and her jacket fit around her curves perfectly. Her hair was up in a bun with her bangs tied back. She wore black stilettos that didn't change much of her height. She still appeared to be shorter than Inuyasha as they walked. To finish her ensemble, she wore her thin-rimmed glasses on her face.   
  
"Why so formal? Going somewhere?" Inuyasha asked curiously. Sango just gave a small laugh.   
  
"No. I can't be casual everyday, yennoe." she replied.   
  
"Why not? You are the manager, aren't you?" Inuyasha asked with a bit more curiosity.  
  
"Yes. But it just wouldn't seem business-like. People would think that I'm irresponsible, which I am. But I can't let them prove that. I have to be an example of the ideal worker." Sango explained. Inuyasha was taken aback by her reply.   
  
"Who would doubt that you were though? You practically work your butt off everyday. I'm surprised you haven't cracked yet." he said in shock. Sango just gave a small laugh as she walked down the stairs.   
  
"Some people find other people's blessings a curse, I suppose." she shrugged her shoulders.   
  
"Like who?"  
  
"Well, for example, you. You think that my job is somewhat of a curse and that it's amazing that I can stand it, right?" Inuyasha nodded his head. "Well, I happen to love my job. And I guess that's what makes it my type of blessing. I like helping those who are in need."  
  
"What about what you get in return?" Inuyasha asked as they walked down the street.   
  
"That doesn't matter much. As long as the ones that I'm helping get what they want and are content. I suppose that's my payment." Sango laughed to herself. Inuyasha stared at her oddly.   
  
"You're an odd one, Taijiya." he gave a small laugh. Sango shook her head and smiled.   
  
"You're surely one to talk, Inuyasha." she said. He looked at her confused. "I mean, right now you're coming off as a genuinely nice guy. Why can't you be this way with Kagome also?"  
  
Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders as they walked down the street. His hands were in his pockets as the wind blew. Several people passed by them with their big jackets, for the weather was very cold.   
  
"She just annoys me. Always talking and yapping about something. You, on the other hand, seem like a person that doesn't accept any bullshit from anyone. Higurashi, to me, seems like one rumor and she'll cry and babble about it like there's no tomorrow." Inuyasha shrugged. Sango just shook her head.  
  
"It may appear like I don't care, and normally I don't, but that doesn't mean that I don't get hurt when people say awful things. Kagome, on the other hand, I wouldn't blame her for being effected by what people say. We both grew up with different lives. She was sheltered. And I was, well, I felt pain before hand."Sango sighed as she opened her coat pocket to take out gloves. "Believe it or not, she's actually stronger than you think. You should probably get to know her better before judging."   
  
"Feh." Inuyasha snorted. "That won't be happening any time soon."  
  
"Oh, I have a feeling it'll happen sooner than you think." Sango mumbled to herself. Inuyasha chose to ignore her words and kept on walking.

* * *

"Whew! I'm pooped. That was my fifth bag today to be put into this room." Kagome sighed with relief as she turned around to see Miroku holding four bags of her luggage.   
  
"Uhh. . .Kagome. . ." Miroku said as he tried balancing her items in his arms.   
  
"Hm. . .now which one did I put my toiletries in. . ." Kagome thought out loud. "Oh, Miroku. . .thanks for helping me with my things. I really appreciate it." a mumble of 'thanks' was heard behind the bags.   
  
"Hmm. . . now where did I put my blankets and everything. . ." she thought out loud again.   
  
"Uhh. . .Kagome. ." Miroku tried catching her attention again as he almost lost his balance holding the heavy luggage.   
  
"Shh, Miroku! I'm trying to think. Hmm. . .now which one held my jeans?" Suddenly, as Kagome thought to herself, a large 'bang!' was heard behind her. She turned around to see Miroku swamped in a pile of her luggage.   
  
"Ah! There they are! Miroku! You had them all along!" Kagome laughed as she pat his head. "Thanks." she said.  
  
"Don't. . .mention. . .it. . ." Miroku forced out as his eyes appeared dizzy. He then tilted his head back and remained unconscious in the pile of luggage.

* * *

"So, what will it be for you two?" the waitress asked as Sango and Inuyasha sat at the table of a small restaurant.   
  
"I'll just have some spring rolls and a water, please. Thanks." Sango smiled as she handed the waitress her menu.   
  
"And I'll have a large bowl of ramen. . .Make it with beef." Inuyasha ordered as he handed the woman his menu. The lady walked away and gave the cook the two's orders.   
  
"So, again, why is Kagome movi–" Inuyasha's sentence was cut as Sango instantly placed her hand over his mouth to hush him.   
  
"Shh." she whispered. "There's sharks all around. You must be discreet." Inuyasha shifted his eyes to her, and to her hand on his mouth.   
  
"Ood oo eez gerr err haa aurf ou uh mghi mou?" (Would you please get your hand off of my mouth?) Inuyasha tried speaking. Sango looked at him confused.   
  
"Huh?" she asked. Then she snapped with common sense and released her hand from his mouth. "Oh! Sorry. Forgot." she laughed nervously. Inuyasha wiped his mouth with his napkin.   
  
"Anyhow, Sharks?" he asked.  
  
"You know. . ." she whispered. Sango inched closer to him from her side of the table. "Publicists. Paparazzi." Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding.   
  
"Anyways, the reason why 'yeah' had to 'yeah' with you. Is because. . ." Sango shifted her eyes to search around if anyone was looking at them. Inuyasha raised an eye brow. "Well, her mole told me a few things that have been going around word for a while." Inuyasha looked at her as if she were crazed.  
  
"Excuse me. . .her _mole_?"   
  
"Oh, my fault. Yeah. Her publicist. . .except we don't worry about them making an harsh rumors." Sango explained. "Or, I don't at least. They wouldn't dare say anything behind my back without my approval."  
  
"Right. . ." Inuyasha nodded his head.   
  
"Anyways, as I was saying, her mole said that word has it you and Kagome are having some sort of problems." she whispered to him.   
  
"Feh. Could've fooled me." he added sarcastically.   
  
"Well, they say that there's signs of an affair somehow and that they've seen you two go into different hotels. So, to save both of you, her mole said that you two were in the process of moving in with each other."  
  
"They said _what_?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, catching the attention of the people in the restaurant. Sango placed her hand on her face with embarrassment.   
  
"That you two were in the process of moving together. Look, it was bound to happen sometime! You are married, remember?" she explained logically.  
  
"Hmph. How could I forget? It's a burden that kills me only every single day." Inuyasha grunted. Sango rolled her eyes and continued eating her spring rolls.   
  
"Well, at least now you know what's going on." she said nonchalantly.  
  
"And what about Miroku? Do you really trust for Kagome to be staying with two guys?" Inuyasha asked, confident that this would be a bump along the awful plan. Sango sighed.   
  
"He's a sacrifice. He will be having to stay with me at my hotel." Sango explained. Inuyasha sat, stunned at Sango's grief.  
  
"I can imagine his excitement." he muttered.  
  
"As well as I can picture my grieve." Sango muttered back. Inuyasha smirked.  
  
"Well, a toast to our future hell!" Inuyasha concluded as he held up his plastic cup of water. Sango rolled her eyes, but raised her cup as well. Their cups collided with a small 'twink!' and the two ate their break fast. 


	14. Before shooting

(**A/N:** I know, this may appear to be irrelevant, but hey! All of my Author Notes are. Bwharharhar! Woohooo! Spider-man 2 is out! And last night... I caught the first showing at the closest theater! Woohoo! Bought tickets for the 12:01 AM show and watched it! It was great! Yayy! Goooooooooooooooo Spider-man!)

* * *

_**Chapter 14 -** Before shooting_  
  
After break fast, Sango and Inuyasha walked back to the hotel. Miroku reminded them that today would be the definite first day of shooting and that they should be ready by 10:30 AM. Kagome proposed that she went back with Sango to their hotel one final time. With her wish granted, the girls were off, informing that they'd meet the guys back at the filming studio.   
  
"You okay with this?" Sango asked Kagome as the closed the door to their hotel. She bit her lip with guilt as she watched Kagome walk around the room listlessly.  
  
"Not really. . ." Kagome sighed, but shrugged. "But you gotta do what you gotta do, right?" she forced a smile. Sango looked down at the carpet.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kagome." Sango sat down on a small couch. "You must hate me for putting you in this position." Kagome stopped walking, and looked at her best friend. She sighed, this move was hard on both of them.  
  
"I don't hate you, Sango." she finally said. "It's Inuyasha that I hate, but that's a whole different story." the two girls laughed.  
  
"He's not really all that bad." Sango said. Kagome looked at her with shock. "I mean, today, when I told him what was going on. He was a bit dramatic about it, but in truth, he doesn't seem so awful."  
  
"Things aren't always what they seem." Kagome snorted as she folded her arms across her chest. Sango looked up from her seat and stared at the girl.  
  
"Precisely. And with that, maybe you should reconsider how you feel about him and use this new move-in to your advantage?" Sango hesitated, but then added. "Unless you already have changed how you feel to the least. . ."  
  
"No!" Kagome instantly exclaimed. "How could you even think a thing like that?!" Sango just shrugged.   
  
"Probably because of the pink that flushed on your face at rehearsals yesterday." she said nonchalantly, knowing that Kagome was probably holding in her blush at this moment.  
  
"I-I was not blushing!" Kagome fought. Sango just laughed.   
  
"Sure, you weren't." she winked. Kagome turned her head away. "Listen, Kags. All I'm saying is that there's more to Inuyasha than good looks."  
  
"He is _not_ good-looking, Sango." Kagome turned her head back and stated sternly. Sango just gave her a 'is-that-your-final-answer?' look. Kagome then hesitated. "Maybe. . .just. . . a little bit."   
  
"Right. So, get to know the man behind the mask." Sango shrugged as she stood up and walked into her bedroom. Kagome followed her.  
  
"W-well, what about you?" she managed to ask. Sango turned her head back to look at her. "You and Miroku. Anything. . .interesting going on?" Sango gave a laugh of disbelief.  
  
"Now you're thinking crazy, Kags." she laughed again. "Mr. Houshi is just as pervert that tries to get into the pants of each physically attractive woman he sees. There would never be anything between us." Kagome pouted at her friend's response, but shrugged.  
  
"So where is he sleeping?" she asked. Sango flattened the blanket on her bed.  
  
"Perhaps in the living room." Sango replied.  
  
"But both of the beds are in this room and are far too big to fit through the door."  
  
"Then I suppose he'll be sleeping on the hard, cold couch, won't he?" Sango said seriously. Kagome laughed. She looked at the clock and saw that it read 9:45 AM.  
  
"Well, we'd better be off to the studio." she finally said as she played with a string on the sleeve of her sweater.   
  
"Yeah. . . we should." Sango replied as she looked around the empty bedroom. Half of the cabinets were known to be empty, and the top of the dressers were bare from hair products and make-up. When she turned towards Kagome and opened her mouth to talk, she was cut off as she caught sight of a tear drop down the girl's face.  
  
"Aw, Kagome!" Sango exclaimed as she quickly grabbed a tissue and handed it to her. "Don't start crying now."  
  
"I-I'm sorry." Kagome managed to say. "I guess I'm just sad that I won't be able to see you anymore."  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Sango smiled. "You'll see me practically everyday." Kagome laughed.   
  
"You promise?"   
  
"Kags, I'm bound to it." Sango ruffled her hair. "I _am_ your manager, right?" she winked. Kagome laughed and nodded her head.  
  
"I guess I'm just a bit emotional." Kagome shrugged. Sango arched an eyebrow and laughed.  
  
"A _bit_?" she said mockingly. Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled.  
  
"So are you done, or do you need another box of Kleenex?" Sango laughed. Kagome stuck out her tongue and gestured for them to leave.

* * *

"So. . .how was breakfast?" Miroku asked Inuyasha casually as the girls left their hotel room.  
  
"Good." Inuyasha shrugged as he walked over towards the large window. He looked over the city and it's beautiful view of the buildings and cars.  
  
"Good?" Miroku's voice came in again. "That's it?" Inuyasha raised an eye brow.  
  
"I guess. The ramen stand we went to didn't exactly please my taste buds." he shrugged again. Miroku gave a loud, obvious sigh that made Inuyasha roll his eyes.  
  
"What am I supposed to say?" Inuyasha asked annoyed.  
  
"I wasn't asking about the food, Inuyasha." Miroku finally said. "How was your talk with the lovely Sango Taijiya?"  
  
"And what's it to you?" Inuyasha clenched his teeth in irritation. "You already know why we went out for the talk anyways."   
  
"I'm just. . .wondering." Miroku said slowly. "Did she happen to. . .you know."  
  
"No, I don't. Just say it, Houshi. Your hinting is starting to tick me off."  
  
"Did she perhaps say anything. . .about my move-in?" Miroku looked at Inuyasha with high hopes. The long black-haired actor looked at the director with complete typicality.  
  
"No. We were too busy making out in the corner." Inuyasha said sarcastically. Miroku's eyes sunk.  
  
"R-really?" the gullible director managed to stutter. Inuyasha smacked Miroku on the back of his head.  
  
"No. Not really." he replied with sarcasm again as he rolled his eyes. "We just talked about the move and a couple of things about herself. In addition to why I hate Kagome."   
  
"What'd you guys say?" Miroku asked curiously.  
  
"Would you like me to report every single word?" Inuyasha said sarcastically. Obviously he was in a deep mood of endless sarcasm.  
  
"Sure." Miroku's voice finally said. Inuyasha fell back anime-style and shook his head.  
  
"And why would I do a dumb-ass thing like that?"   
  
"Because me and Lady Kagome had a very interesting conversation about you." Mirokue lied. Inuyasha paused at the director's response. He looked at him with suspicion, but began to tell Miroku about what Sango had said about her job and why he shouldn't hate Kagome so much.  
  
"So, she likes helping people?" Miroku asked as Inuyasha finished telling the conversation.   
  
"Feh. I guess." Inuyasha shrugged. "Something's gotta be behind it though. There ain't one human that doesn't have any selfish desires of their own."  
  
"Perhaps something that happened in the past?" Miroku thought out loud. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.  
  
"I guess? Feh. It's not like I would care anyhow. That's her business." Inuyasha shrugged. He turned to look at the clock and saw that it read 10:00 AM. "Isn't shooting starting soon?"  
  
Miroku stopped his thinking, and looked at the time. He nearly jumped from his spot as he quickly got up and walked towards the phone. When he turned back towards Inuyasha, he gestured for him to get ready.  
  
"Lost track of time." Miroku laughed nervously. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he slipped his shoes on. Miroku dropped the phone and grabbed a jacket.  
  
"Taxi's waiting for us downstairs." he finally said. Inuyasha got up and walked towards the door. Suddenly, as his hand was on the knob, he looked at Miroku.   
  
"So what was you and Kagome's conversation about me?" he asked curiously. Miroku smirked as he shoved Inuyasha to the side and opened the door.   
  
"Well, well, looky here. . .has somebody taken interest in the mysterious flattery from Ms. Higurashi?" Miroku siad teasingly. Inuyasha bit his tongue and gave Miroku a punch on his shoulder.  
  
"Just spill it." Inuyasha demanded. Miroku began to laugh nervously as he rubbed his throbbing shoulder.   
  
"Well, err. .You see. . .uhh. . ." he stalled. "Uhh. . .she said. . .err. . ." Inuyasha looked at Miroku unimpressed. It wasn't the first time he had lied to him for personal information. Before Miroku could finish mumbling about nothing, Inuyasha waved it off and began to walk down the hall of the hotel. Miroku gave a sigh of relief as he locked the door and followed Inuyasha.

* * *

"What time did Miroku say shooting would start?" Kagome asked impatiently as she sat on a chair in Miroku's office.  
  
"Well, I can recall him saying 10:30, but it's almost 11 now." Sango replied as she gathered some papers scattered on the carpet.  
  
"Why are we in here again?" Kagome finally asked after her curiosity got to her. Sango turned around and gave a faint smile.  
  
"Spring cleaning." Sango answered as she looked around the room. There were papers, coffee mugs, boxes, and (surprisingly) clothes scattered about. Kagome stifled a laugh as she nodded.  
  
"Looks like his assistant isn't doing his or her job." Kagome said as she moved a dirty T-shirt with her two fingers as if it were a contagious disease.  
  
"He doesn't have one."  
  
"How can he not have an assistant?" Kagome said shocked. "Isn't it required?"  
  
"I suppose so, but I guess some people are just independent." Sango shrugged as she stepped on an old box of Krispy Kremes. She immediately picked it up and threw it into the large garbage bag she held. "Or perhaps he's gone bored and has groped them all."  
  
"Or maybe he's too lazy to pick up the phone and get one." Kagome contributed to the possibilities.  
  
"I don't even think Mr. Houshi knows a number to call for an assistant." Sango and Kagome began to laugh.   
  
"It's always nice to start off the day hearing two lovely ladies laughing. It's even more enjoyable when their happiness is caused by yours truly." Miroku's voice came from the door. Kagome and Sango instantly turned their heads in surprise. "Unfortunately, it appears that they aren't laughing with me, but at me, ne?"  
  
Sango and Kagome quickly turned pink with embarrassment. They chose to stay silent and resumed sitting their positions in the office.   
  
"Sango, my dear, what ever are you doing?" Miroku asked pleasantly as he walked over and kneeled down beside her. Sango was too embarrassed to look at him and kept her focus on throwing away the wastes into her large plastic bag. Miroku looked at her and grinned at her pink cheeks and focused eyes. "Well?"  
  
"If you don't mind, I'm cleaning up." she finally said, convinced that he wouldn't leave her alone till he got an answer.  
  
"And why would I mind that?" Miroku asked, surprised. "It's not everyday I see the Sango Taijiya cleaning out my office room."  
  
Sango looked at him, wondering if that remark had been sarcasm or interest. She stood up and sealed the plastic bag while placing it in the corner of the room. Miroku stood up also and cleared his throat.  
  
"Kagome, shouldn't you be in make-up and costume?" he finally said, after minutes of uneasy silence. Kagome looked up at him quickly and nodded her head. She was relieved to escape the room full of tension.  
  
"Like I've said before, it's time you start getting an assistant or secretary." Sango said sternly as she straightened a picture frame on the creme colored wall. "It's positively inhuman for someone to have half as many of the things in here."  
  
"Ah come on, it's not that bad." Miroku said casually. Sango blinked as she stared at the man with disbelief.  
  
"Mr. Houshi, the things that I've seen in here would make someone think that this is somewhat of your new home!" Sango pointed out as she walked towards the couch. Miroku gave a small laugh.  
  
"Now you're starting to act foolish, dear Sango. There is nothing that would point out that I live her–" but his words were cut off as Sango held up a grey sock found at the back of his couch. She stood while holding it with a mocking expression on her face. Miroku sweat dropped and he laughed uneasily.  
  
"Heh. So. . ." he almost ran out of words. "That's where it went?" Sango shook her head.  
  
"Like I've been saying over and over again. . .get–" her statement was cut off by Miroku's voice.  
  
"An assistant. I know, I know, Sango." he cocked his head down and mumbled. "I'm just waiting till I find the right one." he smiled. Sango rolled her eyes as she dusted off her hands. The office was now somewhat clean. Well, at least now you could tell that there were two couches instead of one.  
  
"At least it's half decent." Sango muttered as she observed the room, still with a hint of disgust. Miroku marveled as he looked around.  
  
"So _that's_ where the other couch went. . ." Miroku said happily as he walked over and plopped himself on it. Sango shook her head and stifled a small laugh.  
  
"So. . .Sango. . ." Miroku cut into her thoughts. "I guess your job takes away much of your time, huh?"  
  
"I guess." Sango shrugged, unaware of where he was getting at. "But it's what makes my time worth having."  
  
"What do you do for fun?" Miroku asked as he sat up on the couch. Sango blinked, but then began to empty the drawers of the wooden desk.  
  
"I clean perverted directors' wooden desks." she answered while putting on a plastic smile. Miroku gave a point taken 'ha-ha' and stuck out his tongue. Sango sighed. "I dance." she finally added. Miroku's head perked up at her response.  
  
"You dance?" he asked in disbelief. Sango rolled her eyes.  
  
"Why ask it as if I hadn't said it?" Sango said defensively as she emptied a cabinet full of pens and pencils. She scattered them all over the carpet and began to throw away the ones that didn't work.   
  
"Forgive me, I didn't mean it that way." Miroku said apologetically after he realized the misunderstanding. "I'm just shocked to know that you dance. You always took me as a very serious worker."  
  
"I am." she stated. There were a few minutes of silence, and it broke by Sango's loud sigh.  
  
"I wouldn't blame you for thinking that way anyhow." she said after placing all the pens in a small drawer. "I only dance when I'm by myself, or with Kagome. I use to always do it non-stop. . ." she made a small laugh and bit her lip. "But now it's usually on rare occasions when I dance."  
  
"Why?" Miroku asked. Somehow, learning more about Sango fancied his interests. Sango looked at him oddly. She bit her lip and resumed looking back down at the carpet as she clutched a pencil in her hand.   
  
"B-because I'm no good." she finally said, almost stuttering.  
  
"Don't be foolish." Miroku consoled. "I'm sure that you're a wonderful dancer. Like that night at the club. . .I can recall seeing some great moves from you." he winked. A pink tinge flushed on her cheeks.  
  
"I appreciate your flattery, Mr. Houshi." she finally said. "But when I say I'm not good. I'm no good." Miroku arched a brow.  
  
"C'mon, Sango. What if you just danced a bit more?" he suggested. Sango shook her head 'no'. "What if we went out to a dance club sometime? You know, to get you dancing again."  
  
"I've told you, Mr. Houshi. I'm not a great dancer and I don't dance often."  
  
"Well, whoever heard or a pessimistic dancer?" Miroku grinned. Sango clutched the pencil with both hands. Suddenly, it snapped apart. Miroku looked at the two pieces of pencil in her hands.  
  
"When I say I can't dance. I can't dance. Stop pushing me." she snapped. Miroku was taken aback by her reaction. "Dancing is something that I _did_ for fun. I apologize for the misunderstanding of the question. What I do for fun _now_ is. . ." she took a sudden pause, and blinked hard. "F-filing papers."  
  
Miroku was shocked at her sudden anger, but chose not to reply. He just nodded his head, and became silent. Sango picked up all of the pencils and placed it in a separate small drawer. She stood up, and picked up her clipboard up from the desk.  
  
"I suppose it's time for shooting, hm?" she said with a calm voice. Miroku nodded, amazed on the changing of the tones.  
  
"Well, I should be going to see Kagome." she said while making her way towards the door.  
  
"Sorry about the question." Miroku called out. "If you felt that it was too personal." Sango turned around and looked at Miroku, then back down at the carpet.  
  
"And I apologize for the outburst." a small smile crept on her lips. "Good luck on shooting today."  
  
"Thanks." he said. Sango nodded her head and placed her hand on the doorknob. "Hey, Sango?" he called again.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"During shooting. . .would you like to sit with me behind the camera?" he asked shyly. Sango blinked. "Y-you know. . .If I happen to forget something. . .with my disorganization and all." Sango looked at him softly, and nodded her head.  
  
"Sure. I'll meet you there. I have to speak with Kagome first."  
  
"Great. Thanks, I'll really enjoy your company." he said without thinking. Instantly, as he realized what was just said, he moved his head down with embarrassment. Sango paused for a second, and blushed a bit.  
  
"As will I to you." she finished just as she left. Miroku's head cocked up in surprise, but when he looked, Sango was already gone. A smile appeared on his face as he got up. He walked over to his wooden desk and scratched his head.  
  
"Now, where did I put my film?" 


	15. Shooting scenes

* * *

(**A/N:** Wow! This chapter took 14 pages from me! This has been my longest chapter yet! Woohoo! It feels good! :] )

* * *

_**Chapter 15 -** Shooting scenes_  
  
"Okay people! Today we will be shooting the first scene. Does everyone know their places?" Miroku's voice echoed in the studio. All of the cast and crew kept talking as if they hadn't heard Miroku's question. He cleared his throat.  
  
"I said, Does everyone know their places?" he exclaimed a little louder. Still, nobody had moved an inch and kept on minding their business.  
  
"Does everyone know their places?!" Miroku practically screamed. Sango's smirk was heard from behind him. He turned around and gave her an exasperated look.  
  
"You try and getting their attention!" he challenged. Sango's eyes rolled as she lightly shoved him aside and looked over at all the people.  
  
"HEY! People! Everybody listen up right now!" Sango exclaimed with her mighty voice. Instantly, everyone on set paused and looked at her. She cocked her head to face Miroku and flashed him a triumphant smile. He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Fine. Point taken." he sighed. "You're the better man." A few veins popped on Sango's forehead. The silence on set was broken by a large 'smack'!. Miroku turned back to look over the cast and crew, only to see their unimpressed glares.  
  
"Fine. Better _person_." he muttered under his breath towards her. Sango scoffed in irritation and sat down while looking through papers on her clipboard. "Okay, please. Does everyone know their places?" Miroku asked one more time. Several mutters of agreement were heard in the crowd. "Alright, then. Today we'll shoot the flashback scene when Etsuya, played by Inuyasha, and Asami, played by Kagome, see each other for their last time during the journey. Okay, places, places." he clapped.  
  
Kagome stopped her conversation with one of the make-up artists and began making her way towards her place. She slightly passed by Inuyasha as they walked.  
  
"Don't choke, wench." he muttered under his breath.  
  
"Not planning to, stubborn-mule." she muttered in return. The two scowled at each other.  
  
"It would take an idiot to not see that they despise each other." Sango whispered over to Miroku.  
  
"Huh? I thought they were getting along pretty well." Miroku said seriously. Sango blinked at him.  
  
"I guess I rest my case." she shrugged and gave Miroku an uneasy look. He shrugged and looked over the crew to see that they were in their positions.  
  
"Act one, Scene one, people. And. . ." Miroku gave the set one final overlook. "Action!"  
  
The set was a dark forest, there were several fake corpses lying along the grass. The moon was a large, white ball of crystal in the sky and the lighting made it shine just at the approximate area. Kagome stands on her knees in the grass before the several dead bodies holding a green diamond in her hands. Inuyasha stands a few feet away, panting and drenched in blood. He holds a sword in his hands and is panting.  
  
(**A/N:** I just have the whole 'seeking jewel/feudal and present thing that's similar to the InuYasha story. All of the scenes and lines are just improvisation from my head. Bwharhar. Note: None of these things are from actual InuYasha movies. Okay, thank you.)  
  
"Is it. . .over?" Asami (Kagome) asks dramatically. She looks up with glistening eyes at her beloved Etsuya (Inuyasha).  
  
Etsuya drops his sword and looks at his bloody hands. He looks up from them and at Asami. The shoulder of her shirt is slightly torn and there are blotches of blood all over her body.  
  
"Y-yes, Asami." Etsuya finally said, almost stuttering out his lines. "It's over."  
  
Asami looked, at Etsuya for a few moments in silence. Suddenly, a wide smile shows upon her face and she quickly stands up with the jewel in her left hand. She immediately runs over towards Etsuya, her eyes glistening with tears.   
  
_'God, I can't believe I'm going to have to do this. . .'_ Kagome thought to herself as she was about to act her next move.  
  
"I'm so happy, Etsuya." she cried as she buried her face into his bloody streaked chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she sobbed. "Now we can finally be together. . .we can be happy."  
  
_'Damn, Higurashi's pretty good.'_ Inuyasha thought to himself as the girl faked her cries. _'Shit, I'm complimenting her in my damn thoughts. Stay focused, Inuyasha.'_  
  
Slowly, Etsuya brought his arms around Asami's waist and he held her lovingly. The camera zoomed in on the two's faces. Etsuya's eyes were closed as he held onto Asami in his warm, comforting embrace. While, Asami's eyes were tear-stricken as her head lay on top of Etsuya's welcoming chest.  
  
_'So this is what it feels like to be in the arms of the heart-throb Inuyasha.'_ Kagome thought to herself annoyed. She then hesitated as the camera zoomed. _'I-it's. . .not so bad. . .it feels. . .it feels, well. . .nice. . .'_  
  
"All that we've worked for, Asami. It's finally here." Etsuya said as he brought his head back to look at the girl's face. "Now you can stay with me here. . .and we can live happily."  
  
_'Her hair smells nice. . .'_ Inuyasha thought to himself.  
  
_'I never noticed the. . . deepness in his eyes. . .'_ Kagome thought.  
  
"Stay with you _here_?" Asami said surprised and slightly confused.  
  
"Yeah. In my time. Now that we have the jewel we can live wherever we want without having to worry about any dangers. . ."  
  
_'Her hair is soft. . .'_  
  
_'His eyes are so calm. . .so full of passion. . . focused. . .'_  
  
"What about my time? What about my family? What about my life?" Asami questioned.  
  
"Asami, you could start a new time here. We could begin a family. And you can live here."  
  
_'Maybe I underestimated her on the acting department. . .she's not that bad. . .'_  
  
_'Oh, God. Now I have an idea why girls fall at his feet. . .I think my knees are weakening. . .'_  
  
"But I don't want to, Etsuya! I want to go back to my old time! I thought we would live there." Asami protested as she released herself from Etsuya's arms. They stood a small distance apart, with their hands still intertwined.  
  
"Asami, what about this feudal area? It's a whole new world, can't you see? Don't you want to be with me?"  
  
_'Damn it! Damn the Woman's Network. And damn boredom. Her hair smells good?! It's soft?! She's acting well?! When did I become so damn soft? Damn.'_  
  
_'Whoa-wait?! What am I saying?! I'm talking about my arch-enemy here! I can't be thinking about him here like this. . .Sango can't be right. No. I can't. . . he can't. . . we can't. . .'_  
  
"I do, Etsuya. . .I do. . ."  
  
"Then why not live here?"  
  
_'I can't forget. . .'  
  
'I have to remember. . .'_  
  
"Because I want to go back home! I want to go to my own world too! I love you, Etsuya. . .but. ."  
  
"We're from two different worlds."  
  
_'. . .that I hate you.'_ Inuyasha and Kagome thought at the same time.  
  
"And, cut! Perfect!" Miroku broke in as he clapped his hands. "That was wonderful! I felt the tension, the compassion, the angst, the confusion, the–" his words were cut off my Sango's hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Mr. Houshi, I think they get the point." she stated. Miroku laughed embarrassed as Sango rolled her eyes.   
  
Kagome instantly looked away from Inuyasha's trancing eyes as she let go of their combined hands. A small pink blush rose to her cheeks, but it was hidden as she dropped her head down and walked away.   
  
_'I can't believe I.. . .Did I just?. . .'_ she thought to herself in broken questions. _'Could I have really been?. . .It was just. . .No, it wasn't anything. Just acting. . .of course. . .I'm supposed to be in character right? Yeah. . .of course. . .'_ she nodded her head hesitantly as she looked back at Inuyasha. He still stood in the same spot she left him, and somehow he caught her looking at him. Kagome quickly looked away and continued walking.   
  
_'What just happened?'_ Inuyasha thought as he walked to the restroom in the corner of the studio. He walked over to the sink and began to wash the fake blood off of his hands. _'Come on, Inuyasha. This isn't the first movie you've done with her. Hell, does that even matter? Higurashi isn't anything important. She's just in the way of things. Yeah, that's it. Just in the way. . .just in the wa–'   
_  
"Is anyone her- Oh! I'm sorry. Didn't mean to intrude on anything." Kagome's voice came in as she stood by the door of the restroom with her hand over her eyes. Inuyasha turned around with soap dripping from his hands.  
  
"Oh, no. You've invaded my privacy. I was urinating in the sink. Now I'll have to sue you." he said sarcastically as he turned back around and smirked.   
  
Kagome rolled her eyes as she walked to the sink next to him. She pulled out a small tube of soap from her small purse that hung over her shoulder. Inuyasha looked over at her and watched as she ripped out a piece of towel paper and used it to turn on the faucet. Then, she carefully squeezed a pea-sized amount of soap from her bottle on her palm.  
  
"Neat freak?" he questioned mockingly. Kagome shot him a glare as she rubbed the soap on her hands.   
  
"Hygiene-supporter." she stated. Inuyasha gave a small laugh as he shook his head and rinsed off the soap from his hands. He casually twisted the faucet off and walked over to the paper towel bin. Kagome eyed his actions disgustingly.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked annoyed as he dried his hands. Kagome shook her head.  
  
"Nothing." she answered as she resumed soaping her hands. Inuyasha threw away the damp paper towel and looked at his hands.   
  
"What did I do?" he asked again, with a bit of worry. Kagome shook her head again.   
  
"Nothing." she repeated. Inuyasha clenched his teeth with annoyance.   
  
"Tell me!" he exclaimed. Kagome looked at him in shock at his impatience, but returned her eyes to the running water as she rinsed the soap off. Inuyasha just eyed her evilly as she thoroughly dried her hands.   
  
"Fine. You really want to know?" she finally said as she dried between her index and middle finger.  
  
"I'm not so sure if it's come to my interest anymore." Inuyasha replied stubbornly. Kagome blinked, but shrugged.  
  
"Okay then. Your loss." she said as she threw away the paper towel. "Don't blame me when you all of a sudden get a severe sickness." Inuyasha immediately turned to look at her.   
  
"Fine! Yes, I want to know." he gave in. A small smile crept on Kagome's lips.  
  
"You didn't dry your hands well." she finally said. Inuyasha raised an eye brow.  
  
"Excuse me. I didn't know that there was a certain way to dry a hand." he said mockingly. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, there's a difference if it's in your own house or in a public restroom."  
  
"Could've fooled me. This bathroom smells like shit." said Inuyasha as he pinched his nose with his thumb and index finger.  
  
"A lot of people have been in it, that's why. And that's also why you should take more precautions when you wash your hands."   
  
"Do teach me your ways Oh-Queen-of-Toiletries." Inuyasha said sarcastically. Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"Listen Mr. Sarcastic-Ass, I could've just let you walk out of this restroom with God-Knows-What all over your hands. But no, I chose to do the noble thing and inform you that there was a mistake in your drying." Kagome stated seriously as she stood akimbo.   
  
(**A/N:** Akimbo! Hehe! It was one of the words in the book that I'm reading. Man, it's a cool word. Haha. Oh, and it means "With hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards." Bwharharhar! Oh yes! Akimbo! Spread the knowledge and be merry! :] )  
  
Inuyasha sighed and figured that today had enough disasters, so he nodded his head and showed his gratitude.   
  
"Feh. Fine." he said. "Show me my mistake."  
  
"Well, first, I'm guessing you touched the sink freely with your hand, correct?"  
  
"Yeah? So?"  
  
"Mistake one. Do you know exactly how many people have touched that? And who knows what was on their hands before they spread it on the knob."  
  
"Okay. . ."  
  
"Where did you get your soap?"  
  
"The little liquid soap box thing next to the sink."  
  
"Mistake number two. How do you know that that soap hasn't been infected with some sort of virus? Or if that whole box isn't contaminated with some sort of bacteria!"  
  
"Damn, Kagome. Never thought you were such a neat frea–"  
  
"And mistake number three was touching the knob again after cleaning your hand. That's just making it dirty all over again!"  
  
"Did you ever consider therapy?"  
  
"INUYASHA!"  
  
"Okay, okay. . ." he mumbled a couple of words that sounded like 'thank you'. "You should really talk to someone about that neatness. You might drive yourself crazy over it."  
  
"I'm a neat girl, not a neat freak. And it's not that I'm like this every time I use a public restroom." she scrunched up her nose. "But this one is a unisex bathroom. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it's far more dirtier."  
  
"Hey! Are you implying that men have no sense of hygiene?"   
  
"Well, apparently you didn't." Inuyasha fell silent and mumbled the word 'wench' over towards Kagome as he walked over towards the door. He took a sudden pause and turned around. Kagome was gathering her things and prepared herself for leaving as well.   
  
"Forget something?" she asked as Inuyasha walked by her.  
  
"Can I. . ." Inuyasha asked, but his last words were mumbled under his breath.  
  
"What?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Can I. . .borrow. . ." he mumbled again, this time a bit louder. Kagome sighed, she couldn't make out any of his words other than 'Can I.'.   
  
"Inuyasha, you're going to have to stop mumbling."  
  
"Can I borrow you damn soap?!" he exclaimed as he turned around. Kagome looked at him, shocked at his outburst, but smiled. She could tell that Inuyasha wasn't the type to swallow his pride and ask for things.  
  
"Sure." Kagome replied as she dug into her purse for the small bottle. Inuyasha took it and squeezed some of the liquid onto his hands, as he looked at the sink in front of him, he realized he skipped a step.   
  
"Damn it!" he exclaimed. Kagome gave a small giggle as she walked over beside him with a paper towel in her hands. She moved a bit closer while turning on the faucet. As Kagome looked up, her and Inuyasha's faces were only inches apart. A small blush came across her cheeks as she took steps back.   
  
Inuyasha looked at her for a few moments. Her head was bent down so the blush would disappear.   
  
_'Ugh! I'm blushing again?! What is wrong with me?! It's just Inuyasha!'_ she thought to herself. Kagome looked up from her spot and watched as Inuyasha thoroughly rubbed the soap in his hands. She couldn't help but smile at the determined guy.   
  
_'Today was the first time we've had a calm conversation. . .'_ Kagome thought to herself. _'Well, it's been the most calm out of all of the other times we've talked. . .'_ she looked at him again, grinning even more. _'It was. . .nice. Perhaps next time we talk it won't be about washing hands. . .Gah! I mean, not like we'll ever have a decent conversation ever again. Heh. In a few moments everything will resume its natural ways. Inuyasha will go back to being his jerky-ass self, and I'll be there to retaliate.'_ she looked over as Inuyasha tried to scratch his nose with his arm and not his soapy hand. She giggled shortly as she walked over and, with a paper towel, scratched his nose for him._ 'Though, it would be nice to have another peaceful conversation with Inuyasha. . .'_  
  
"Gnut er yuu duueng?" (What are you doing?) Inuyasha's voice broke into Kagome's thoughts. She immediately snapped back to reality and realized what she was doing.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry!" she said as she quickly dropped the paper towel on the ground and brought back her hand. "I wasn't thinking. . ." Kagome added as she bit her lower lip.  
  
"Obviously, wench." Inuyasha said as he rolled his eyes. He waited for an incoming insult in return, but arched an eye brow when he heard nothing. He turned his back to the sink to look at Kagome. "What's eating you, Higurashi?" he asked.  
  
"It's nothing." Kagome shook her head as her right hand clutched her left elbow. "Haven't you soaped your hands long enough?" she asked, changing the subject. Inuyasha looked down at his hands, and saw that they appeared to be turning red.  
  
"GAH!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he began rinsing off the soap. "You could've informed me that _earlier_!"   
  
"Excuse me! I didn't know that it was _my_ responsibility to tell you when to wash the soap from your hands!"  
  
"It was your fault for scaring me about that bacteria shit in the first place!"  
  
"Just because you don't know how to clean your han–" Kagome paused her exclamation, and her mouth stayed open with shock. "I-I scared you?" Inuyasha's eyes widened when he realized what he had just yelled. He turned his back to face her and ripped off a paper towel.  
  
"No." he finally said after he was about to throw away the damp towel. Kagome folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Oh really?" she said, unconvinced.  
  
"Yeah, really." he said defensively. "I'm not some chump to be easily afraid of some scientific information."  
  
"Sure, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she gave a small smirk. "Then turn off the water faucet with your bare hand." Inuyasha gave her an evil glare, but rolled his eyes. He walked over towards the running watered sink and placed his hand over the knob. Just as it was inches away, he looked over at Kagome who was smirking triumphantly at him.  
  
"Just because you said to do it, I won't." he snorted as he placed the towel paper on top of the knob and twisted it off. Kagome rolled her eyes, but smiled.   
  
"You might want to get one for the door handle as well." she added. Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at her as he roughly ripped a piece of paper towel. He placed it on top of the silver door knob, and thrust the door open.   
  
"Well, good luck on the next few scenes today." Kagome said as she smiled sweetly. Inuyasha stood, speechless as he held the door open. Kagome walked out, leaving Inuyasha stunned and, if you looked hard enough, with a little blush on his cheeks.

* * *

After hours and hours and hours of shooting, it was finally time for the last hours of the day. The cast and crew were all very tired, but were thankful that today's shooting was almost over. Though the whole day was spent on set, only about 5-10 minutes of the movie was shot. Kagome was in her new costume and her make-up was freshly done. Sango fell into a small slumber as she sat with her legs crossed on her chair next to Miroku.  
  
_'How can she possibly be asleep with all this commotion?'_ Miroku thought to himself as he looked at the peaceful Sango._ 'Am I going to have to pull a Carry-The-Taijiya-Home maneuver again?'_ Sango dropped her clipboard from her arms. Miroku smiled as he picked it up and placed it on the small table next to his chair. He brought his hand to her gentle face and softly moved her bangs out of her face. _'Apparently so.'_  
  
"Okay, everyone. As you all know, today is the last day of shooting!" Miroku said over the people. Everybody was already tired, so not much of them had the energy to carry on with their conversations. Miroku sighed with relief as the crew listened to him intently. He didn't wish to raise his voice with the sleeping Sango sitting behind him.  
  
"We're shooting the scene titled 'Surprise'. It's a short one, folks. So, let's make this one good." Miroku walked over and looked to see if everyone were in their places. With a nod of his head, he called out, "Action!"  
  
The setting is in a normal house. Kagome, or Asami, sits on her living room couch while flipping through the channels of her television. Her cat sits on the couch next to her and meows.   
  
"What're you looking at Buyo?" Asami says playfully as she catches the glares given to her by her big, fat, orange cat. The cat just purrs as it rests it's head on the arm of the couch.  
  
"I don't know what's wrong with me. . ." Asami sighs as she turns off the T.V. and lies down on her back on the couch. "It's been almost a year since I've seen Etsuya. . .but I can't. . .I can't forget him. . ." the cat continues to meow.  
  
"It sounds pretty pathetic, doesn't it?" Asami rubs her face with her hands. "I've been having these weird dreams lately. . .dreams of Etsuya and I. When we were back in the feudal era. Is that telling me something, Buyo? Did I make the wrong choice on coming back here?"  
  
"I've never forgotten our last words. . .they run through my mind every day. . ." Asami choked out a small sob. " 'We're from two different worlds.' he says. But I loved him then. . .and. . . though it's been so long since we've seen each other. . .I still love him." a tear drop escapes Asami's eye as she rolls down the side of her face. "But I'll never see him again, Buyo. Never. And it's all my fault. It's my fault for being so damn stubborn. For my fucking selfishness."   
  
The cat meows once more and it pounces on the same couch as Asami. It sits on top of her stomach and rests while purring. Asami smiles faintly as she gently brings her fingers to pet the tan fur.  
  
"What am I doing? I doubt you understand a word I'm saying. . ." Asami finally says, after minutes of lonely silence. "But. . .sometimes I just wish. . .that I could. . .that I could see Etsuya agai–" Suddenly, there is a sound of a knock at her door. Asami, gently picks up her cat and places him on her couch.   
  
She stands up and walks over to her front door. The door bell rings twice, and her walking continues to fasten. Asami looks over at the clock and sees that it reads 12:01 AM.   
  
"Who on Earth would be visiting at this time of the hour?" she asks herself. Just as Asami opens the door, her mouth opens in shock to see the person in front of her.  
  
. . .Etsuya.  
  
"Et-Et-Etsuya?. . ." she manages to stutter.   
  
"CUT! And that's a wrap! Thank you every body for a wonderful day of shooting." Miroku's voice cuts in. Kagome wipes off her played-out tears from her face and smiles.  
  
"Woohoo! Got it on one take!" she exclaims happily. Inuyasha smirks as he walks out from the fake door and closes it.  
  
"Let's just see if you'll do as good on the other scenes." he grunts. Kagome rolls her eyes and continues jumping for joy. Inuyasha folds his arms across his chest as he stands next to the jumping girl. Kagome stops her jumped, and looks at Inuyasha.  
  
"In need of something?" she asks annoyed. "Like for instance, soap?"  
  
"Feh. You wish." Inuyasha replies aggravated. "We're new roommates, remember?" Kagome's smile fades and her eyes droop into sadness.  
  
"Oh." is all she says. Inuyasha shrugs and walks over to his dressing room to gather up his stuff. Kagome sighs and walks over to the director's section.   
  
"So how did I do, Captain?" Kagome asks cheerfully as she sees Miroku come from behind the camera.  
  
"You did great, Higurashi. Good job." he smiles.  
  
"Where's Sango?" Miroku just points behind him. Kagome looks over and sees a sleeping Sango covered by a grey jacket.  
  
"Hey, is that Sango's jacket?" Kagome points out.  
  
"Nope." Miroku answers casually while taking out the film from the camera.  
  
"Then who's is it–" Kagome paused for a moment and smiled. "Ah, I see. It's yours, no?"  
  
"You are correct." Miroku gives a small chuckle.  
  
"Well, that's very gentleman-like of you. Inuyasha would never do a thing like that, I bet."  
  
"Alas, I have to say that you are incorrect about that one, Ms. Higurashi."  
  
"Huh?! Are you saying that Inuyasha isn't a total jerk 24/7?"  
  
"Oh, no. He's a jerk alright, but that doesn't mean that there's no soft spots in him."  
  
"Why does everyone keep saying that!"  
  
"And what is everyone saying?"  
  
"That he's not just an egotistical ass hole."  
  
"Perhaps that means that it's true? You see, Kagome, Inuyasha's just not easy to opening up to others. . .He can be quite the nobleman when he sees fit." Miroku gave a small smile. "But I'm sure you've already found that out."  
  
"What?! You're kidding, right?! Inuyasha's the exact opposite of what a Prince Charming would be. He's just like every other actor out there. Conceited, meat-headed, stubborn, and most of all. . ."  
  
". . .Married to one of the most annoying pop-singing wenches out there?" a voice came from behind. Kagome and Miroku turned their heads to find a casual-dressed Inuyasha.  
  
"What I was going to say was–" Kagome's words were cut off by Inuyasha's grunt.  
  
"Feh. Like I care what you have to say." he walked pass by her. Kagome's eyes fumed.  
  
"THEN DON'T INTERRUPT A CONVERSATION THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE YOU!" she exclaimed, nearly biting his head off. Inuyasha's eye twitched at the girl's outburst. Kagome rolled her eyes as she walked over to her dressing room to get changed.  
  
"That bitch has the nerve–" Inuyasha's sentence was cut off by a small bread roll that was thrown at the back of his head. When he turned around to see who threw the object, he saw a flamed Kagome stomping away. "Ergh. I'm living with that thing."  
  
"Now, Inuyasha. Perhaps you should watch your language when it comes to women." Miroku consulted.   
  
"Like you would know anything about the female race." Inuyasha murmured.  
  
"Well, I appear to know more than you."   
  
"Shut it, Miroku." Inuyasha grit his teeth. "Same time, same place, tomorrow for filming?"  
  
"Eh, I still have to call up some people for reservations to use certain parts of the city for filming."  
  
"Weren't you supposed to do that beforehand?"  
  
"I've got some places ready to be shot at, but I need to get everywhere before they get taken. Heh. It would've been done by now if my assistant did their job."  
  
"Miroku, you don't have an assistant."  
  
"Must people remind me that tragedy every single day?!" Miroku said dramatically. Inuyasha stood, unimpressed.  
  
"Stick to directing, your acting needs improvement." Inuyasha said as he walked away. Miroku rolled his eyes as he placed his film in a drawer beside the camera. He turned over to look at Sango. She was still fast asleep.  
  
"Well, better call for a cab."

* * *

"So where will I be sleeping?" Kagome asked as she followed Inuyasha into his room. She carried her pillow in her arms as she dragged her blanket.  
  
"Outside." Inuyasha said sarcastically. Kagome's eyes widened with disbelief, but drooped at the sound of Inuyasha's smirk. "You'll sleep on my bed."  
  
"O-on _your_ bed?" Kagome repeated. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
  
"Did I stutter?" he said mockingly.  
  
"I know we have to _play_ a married couple for the cameras and everything, but don't you think this is a bit overboard?" Kagome said nervously. Inuyasha gave her an odd glare.  
  
"We won't be sleeping on my bed _together_, if that's what you were thinking." he finally said. "You must really want me, eh? I bet you _want_ to sleep in the same bed with me tonight." a pink blush formed on Kagome's cheeks.  
  
"No!" she defended. "Personally, I don't prefer to sleep next to stubborn-mules. It ruins the concentration used for my beauty rest." she said nonchalantly, joking to herself about the word 'beauty rest'. Why couldn't people just call it 'sleep'? Inuyasha just smirked.  
  
"Feh. You've have enough rest to give you a great amount of beauty." Inuyasha yawned, but paused realizing what he had just said. Kagome blinked at him. "I mean– You haven't had enough rest for beauty amount. No, wait, I mean. . .Average amount of beauty rest for you. . .Wait, that doesn't make sense. Ah, fuck it."  
  
"Where will you be sleeping, then?" she finally asked as she stifled a yawn.  
  
"Out in the living room." he replied shortly.  
  
"Won't people. . .see you?"  
  
"Not unless they're extremely obsessed with me and would stand upon a building watching over and taking pictures." they both paused. Inuyasha cursed under his breath. "Damn. I forgot. Paparazzi are desperate bastards. I'll sleep in Miroku's room then." he shrugged as he walked over towards Miroku's door.  
  
"Err. . .maybe you shouldn't. . .I should warn you that. . ." Kagome said hesitantly. Inuyasha shrugged off her words and opened the door. Two or three boxes of luggage came toppling down on him, making him fall on the carpet. ". . .I still need to fix my luggage."  
  
"Thanks. . .for. . . the. . . warning. . ." Inuyasha mumbled sarcastically.   
  
Kagome sighed as she walked over and began picking up the luggage off of Inuyasha and tossing it back into Miroku's bed room. She brought her hand back to grab the last one, but instead of feeling the hard, rough, handle of her bag, she felt warm, soft, skin. As Kagome turned her head to look at her luggage, she saw that Inuyasha's hand was already lifting up her bag, and that her hand was placed on his.  
  
She immediately brought her hand back and felt her hot blush on her cheeks. Inuyasha gulped as he tried to hide the small pink tinge on his cheeks as well. He tossed the heavy load in the room and closed the door.  
  
"I guess, I'll have to sleep in the bathroom." he finally said. Kagome looked at him oddly.  
  
"Just sleep in your room, Inuyasha." she said.   
  
"And where would you sleep?"  
  
"In your room. You'll be sleeping on the floor." Inuyasha fell back anime-style.  
  
"Why don't _you_ sleep on the floor and I sleep on _my_ bed?!"  
  
"Because that would make you a selfish meat-headed fool!" she exclaimed, again nearly biting off his head. Inuyasha looked down in defeat and grunted.  
  
"Fine, whatever. I'm getting tired of sleeping on that bed anyway." he muttered. Kagome rolled her eyes and placed her pillows on the bed. Inuyasha grabbed a big blanket and placed it down on the carpet. Kagome tossed him his pillows. The two were so tired by the end of the day, that they hadn't found any energy left in them to change into their pajamas. So, they fell asleep in the room in their everyday clothes.   
  
"Good-night, Inuyasha. . ." Kagome managed to mumble as she rolled on her side while on the bed. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
  
"Feh." he replied. And with that, the two fell into a resting sleep. It had been one awfully awkward day. . .  
  
. . .Too bad for them it wouldn't be their last. (But wonderful for us!)

* * *

(**A/N:** Haha, the last sentence was for luckykittykagome! Thanks for the 2 cents! :]) 


	16. Hand Over Heart Morning

(**A/N: **Terribly sorry for the lack of update, but yeah. Hmm, what useless information should I post up here? Oh yeah! It's recently passed my birthday! July 14th! I'm officially 14! Yay! Hahah, anyhow...and yeah. I'll extend this chapter for you readers! Hope I didn't keep you waiting TOO long...)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, and nor do I own the lyrics of the song[s] used in this chapter or, if the time happens, in this whole story. Yeah, okay bye! :)

* * *

****

Chapter 16 - Hand Over Heart Morning

The following morning, Miroku woke up in his new hotel. After carrying Sango to the studio and onto her bed, he took his spot and fell asleep on the couch.

'Note to self: Order softer couches.' Miroku thought to himself as he lay crooked on the small, brown couch in the living room. He gave an effort to turn over, but only succeeded on falling off the couch with a large 'thump!'.. _'...Softer and bigger.'_

"What time is it?" Miroku yawned to himself as he stretched out his arms while looking for a clock. His eye caught a small one on the VCR. 9:31 AM, not so bad. "I bet Sango's still asleep. She was knocked out during shooting yesterday." he chuckled to himself while stifling another yawn.

Miroku looked around the living room and noticed that most of the curtains were drawn, making it look dark and gloomy.

'Hm, Sango's not a very sunshine type of person.' he thought to himself while getting up and thrusting the curtain open. Only to reveal the lovely sun from the opposite view of the city. Outside of the living room window there was a sight of the ocean. Miroku grinned to himself as he looked at the small boats and wind-sailors.

'It's a great view out here. . .wonder why they keep it covered.' he thought to himself._ 'It's a beach. Perhaps I could take Sango out to it one day. . .'_

Suddenly, his thoughts were cut short by a large 'clank!' sound heard from the kitchen. Miroku instantly made his way towards the room to go see what had caused the disruption.

'Maybe she's awake. . .' his mind thought while he walked across the hallway.

"Sango, is that yo–" but his words were cut off as he reached the source of the clatter. There Sango was, dressed in her pajama tank top and pj pants. She had her headphones on and a walk-man attached to her waist. It appeared that she was preparing breakfast, but that wasn't what made Miroku stop his sentence. She was dancing. Ballet, if you will.

Miroku grinned as the girl pranced around the kitchen with a small black pair of ballet slippers. He was amazed at her skill of multi-tasking. She was toasting bread, cooking eggs, juicing oranges, and dancing all at the same time!

'Bad dancer she says? Pff!' Miroku thought to himself as he stood and watched, hoping that she wouldn't realize his presence._ 'It's almost like she's gliding on air. . .'_

And it was true, it was almost like she was gliding on air. Sango's arms gracefully moved around as she stood on her toes. Her delicate hands waved as though being pushed by the wind. Miroku stood close by the corner just where part of the exceeding wall could cover him. His interest in Sango's dancing surprised himself, for he wasn't usually into things as classical.

'How come she never mentioned that she could do ballet?' he said in his thoughts._ 'I could've put that in one of my movi–'_

But again his words were cut off as Miroku's attention went on something else. Not only were his eyes witnessing one of the many hidden secrets of Sango, but his ears as well. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that he heard humming. . .

. . .and then singing. Was Sango actually singing?

Miroku's back leaned against the wall as he slid down and sat on the carpet. At first just seeing her dance was enough shock for the morning, but hearing her sing? He rested his head back on the wall and closed his eyes while listening to her voice serenade the invisible audience.

'I don't wanna dance alone  
Don't wanna be on the floor without my baby  
And since I can't be with you  
I haven't had an appetite for nothing lately..'

Though Miroku tried hold back, his lips couldn't help but release a small smile. It was as if she was finally opening up to him. Sango never really talked to him about herself, so it was nice to actually think that she was telling him something important. As if...as if he were worth telling...

'I don't wanna dance alone  
Even the robins can't sing a sad, sad song  
Can't be alone, don't make me do it alone..'

"Whew, I'm finally done." he heard her say. Then, his eye twitched as he heard the sound of Sango removing her headphones and placing her walkman on the table. He heard her walking near the entrance of the kitchen near him, and instantly ran back to the living room, hoping she hadn't seen him.

Sango walked through the hallway and into her bedroom. As she was taking off her old ballet slippers, she placed on a pair of purple socks. Suddenly, as she sat down on her bed, she saw something that hadn't always been there before on Kagome's mattress. It was a jacket. A grey jacket, to be exact.

"Who's is this?" she said after placing on her socks. Sango got up from her bed and examined the article of clothing. "It's definitely not Kagome's, it's far too big."

She held it up with her hands and began to observe it even more. Finally, she found a patch that was sewn on the inside. Inside of the grey jacket the patch read 'M. Houshi.'

"Miroku?!" Sango said aloud, wondering how his jacket could've gotten in her bedroom. She blushed for a moment after seeing that she had just said his first name. Then, she had a moment of realization and remembered the new moving arrangement. "W-where is he?" she asked aloud, a bit worried.

"Knowing that lecher he's probably under the..." she said loud, as if Miroku was in the room. Sango went on her knees and moved a piece of cloth that covered the bottom of the bed. "Under the bed!" she screamed as she looked, but found nobody and nothing there.

"Hmm, he has to be in here somewhere." Sango said again. "Houshi, if you're hiding...you better hope I won't find you." she threatened, sure that he was going to come out now. A small frown appeared on her lips as nothing responded.

'Maybe I was a bit harsh on him yesterday...and the days before that.' Sango clicked. With a small sigh, Sango lightly tossed the jacket back onto Kagome's bed and exited the bedroom.

'Did I do something to make him not want to stay here?' she thought to herself. Suddenly, Sango heard movement in the living room. Grabbing a baseball bat, she slowly walked towards it.

The moving turned into rustling, and the rustling turned into squeaking, and the squeaking eventually turned into 'erghs!' and 'arghs!'.

'What in the world is over there?!' Just as Sango entered the living room, she had positioned the bat to prepare for whoever was there. She dropped it when she saw a sleeping Miroku on the long brown couch. Sango gave into a sigh of relief as she placed a hand on her beating heart and smiled.

'So he's here. . .' Realizing her reaction, Sango quickly removed her hand and straightened up her stance. _'I mean, where else could he have been right? Not like he could've gone anywhere else. The pervert's bound to staying here. . .' _she paused. '_Then why was I so worried?'_

As Miroku finally heard Sango's presence behind him in the living room, he tried to hold back his smile. He hadn't forgotten her singing voice from earlier, and it still brought happiness to his face.

'Seems like he's had the courtesy to sleep on the couch...' Sango smiled as she added._ '...again.'_

"M-—.." Sango stammered. Miroku's heart began to pound faster at her voice. Was she about to...say his first name? "Mr. Houshi?" His heart sank.

"Mm?" he faked, trying to sound as if he had just gotten up. "Sango? Is that you?"

"Who else would it be?" Sango replied sarcastically, but still managed to smile sweetly. "Did I wake you?"

"Huh?" Miroku faked a yawn. "No, not at all. What's the bat for? Are we going to the park?"

Sango looked at the baseball bat that she held in her hand and a small blush of humiliation came onto her face. She slid the bat behind her leg and dropped it.

"No, it's uhh...it's nothing." she gave a small smile. "What time did we leave the set?"

"Not sure." Miroku shrugged as he sat up on the couch. "I think at about 1 AM."

"Oh," Sango replied. She wondered why that was all she could respond with. How could she have lost any words to say to Miroku? Surely she could've replied with a sentence of more than one word.

"Yeah." was all Miroku could say. Well, this was a first. The conversation had been silenced, and not because of a perverted gesture, but because...well, because it just happened.

"I see you've opened the curtains." Sango finally said.

'Out of all the things to talk about...curtains?!' she said in her mind. _'And since when did it actually matter what we talked about? Oi. . .'_

"I thought it was about time some sunshine came to beautify the room." Miroku then turned his head and faced Sango. He smiled at her. "But with your presence, the room has become even more radiant than that of which a thousand suns could do."

Sango couldn't help but blush. She could feel her cheeks becoming pink, and tried her best to cover them. Miroku tried to stifle his chuckles as he found her efforts, well...quite adorable.

"I see you're quite the poet, Mr. Houshi." Sango managed to say as she bit the inside of her cheek. She hoped that her blush had died down. "It's always fortunate for someone to have a creative mind."

"Alas, dearest Sango..." Miroku said while getting up. He walked closer towards Sango and gently held her hands in his. He looked deeply into her brown eyes. Sango's blush was at an untamable peak as she became lost into the director's violent pools. "My words don't come from the head, but from the heart."

'Okay, Sango. Get a hold of your emotions...' Sango thought nervously._ 'Wait a minute–emotions?! There are no emotions! Especially for Mr. Houshi! Especially. Especially. Especially. Especiall–EEE!'_

Sango's thoughts were cut suddenly as she felt a hand crept upon her backside. Her eyes widened as she felt the wandering hand wander lower...and lower...and lower...then, DING! Reached the pin point.

"PERVERT!" Sango exclaimed as she quickly took back her hand and used one to implant a large, red, hand mark right on Miroku's cheek. Miroku froze in his standing position, his eye twitching with pain.

"Breakfast is ready." Sango muttered to him as she folded her arms across her chest and stomped off away.

"Day one in the Taijiya Hotel."

* * *

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

_"Inuyasha. . ." a voice whispers as Inuyasha stands in a large, white room. The soft wind blows his long silver hair, as well as succeed on making his ears twitch._

_"K-K-Kikyo? What does this mean? Why are we here?" Inuyasha asks helplessly as he looks around._

_"Inuyasha. . ." Kikyo whispers again. Inuyasha creaks his neck in all directions as owls do at night to find their prey. "When will it end? When will we be together?"_

_"I don't know, Kikyo." Inuyasha stood confused. "You should answer me that question. When will it end?"_

_"Suffering. . ." was all the feminine voice replied as she faded. "The fault of the past. . ."_

_And with those last words, the apparition disappeared into thin air. . .just as it had done before._

_"K-K-Kikyo. . ." Inuyasha fell to his knees. "Stop leaving me. Please, stop leaving."_

_-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --_   
  
Kagome placed her pillow over her head as she tried to block out the sound from her ears. Her arm pushed the pillow so that her mind would be silenced. Unfortunately, her efforts were useless for she could still hear the loud murmurs of the sleeping Inuyasha. Kagome tossed and turned in her bed, but it was pointless to try and ignore his sounds.

Kagome sat up from her bed and laid down on her stomach, having a view of Inuyasha as he slept. She watched as he clutched his blankets and lay flat on his back. His head moved from side to side and his eyes were closed tightly.

She stared at Inuyasha with deep concern and pitied the troubled sleeper. His face was drenched with perspiration and his bangs stuck to his forehead. Kagome hesitantly brought her gentle hand towards his face and tried to wipe away his bangs from his face.

"Stop. . ." Inuyasha suddenly murmured, making Kagome take back her hand in shock. Was he talking to her? She looked at his face and saw that nothing had changed. His eyes were still tightly shut. "Stop leaving. . ." he finished.

'Leaving?' Kagome thought to herself as she found enough courage to wipe his black bangs off of his face. She quietly stepped off of her bed and grabbed her white handkerchief that she placed in her pocket. _'What could he mean?'_

Kagome kneeled beside Inuyasha and gently wiped off the beads of sweat the cascaded down his face. She looked at his countenance and frowned with sympathy. What was wrong with him? What was causing him such pain?

"Don't leave me. . ." Inuyasha muttered in his sleep again. His voice was trembling as if something held him back saying those words. "Not again. . .don't leave me again."

'He's talking in his sleep. . .' Kagome concluded as she continued drying his face. She sighed as this position wasn't exactly the best way to console him. So, she sat on her knees and gently lifted his head to her lap. _'There. That's better.' _she smiled as she brushed off the blank bangs that kept on flinging to his face.

(**A/N:** Teehee! They're in the position they were in on that one episode when Inuyasha first turns into his human form in front of Kagome. Haha, sorry. It was just so darn cute.)

Inuyasha's facial expressions were twitching and Kagome could sense that whatever was happening in his dream, it was causing him pain. Horrible, painful, scarring, pain.

'Oh Inuyasha. . .' Kagome thought sadly._ 'What's the matter?'_

Suddenly, Inuyasha's hand slowly shot up and grabbed Kagome's wrist. She dropped her handkerchief and it landed on his eyes, blocking his view of her.

"Inu. . .yasha?. . ." Kagome stuttered in shock as his hand grasped her small wrist. She gulped nervously and remained stiff. Kagome placed her free hand on her chest and she felt her heart beating. Beating, and beating, and beating. Beating faster than it had before. . .what was wrong with her?

"K–" he mumbled. Kagome gave a small gasp. "K–" he mumbled again. Kagome's eyes widened. "Kikyo. . ." he finished. Kagome's heart sank.

'Wait, why am I disappointed? Of course he'd call for Kikyo's name. . .' Kagome thought to herself. _'And there's no way in chance he would've said my own. . .'_

Her thoughts were cut off as Inuyasha began to stir and his head leaned over to the side, almost falling flat onto the carpet. Kagome instantly shifted his head gently on the carpet and stood up to get back into bed.

...leaving her handkerchief covering the sleeping eyes of the distressed Inuyasha.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Sango's hotel, the momentary manager and director were in the process of eating breakfast. Unfortunately, after his little 'hand gesture' she hadn't had the heart to speak with him. The two ate in an awkward silence, and the only sounds to be heard were the metal forks on their ceramic plates.

"If this freshly squeezed orange juice?" Miroku asked curiously. In truth, all he wanted to do was break the silence that the two shared in the kitchen.

Sango looked up from her plate and at Miroku's glass of juice, she paused for a moment, but then continued eating her eggs. He sighed as she ignored his question.

"These eggs are great." Miroku tried once again as he stuffed a piece of egg into his mouth. And for a second time, Sango ignored him.

"How do you like the weather?" Ignored.

"You know, did you do something with your hair? Because, it looks quite lovely today." he tried with a nervous laugh. Sango just kept on eating her breakfast.

"Are we going to visit Kagome today?"

Ignored.

"Do you want me to wash the dishes?"

Ignored. At this point, Miroku was convinced that Sango wasn't even listening to a word he was saying. He sighed and looked at her dully.

"I'm a purple-footed giraffe that likes to fold laundry." he said without emotion.

Sango then dropped her fork on her plate with a large 'clank!' and pounded both of her fists on the table. She stared up at Miroku, her brown eyes enraged with fury.

"What is it that you want, Miroku?" she asked sternly, not caring that she had addressed him by his first name. Miroku's face flushed hearing her voice say his name and he couldn't help by show a small grin.

"And what're you grinning for?" Sango added, sounding even more irritated than ever. Miroku instantly wiped off the grin that came upon his face and looked down at his plate. Sango just stared at him from her side of the table, her eyes wide with annoyance. "Well?" she hissed.

Miroku became intimidated by Sango's new mood and kept silent. He didn't want to look up from his breakfast plate. By the piercing silence, he could already feel Sango's eyes burning holes into his head.

"Did you want me to answer your pointless statements and questions?" Sango finally spat. "Well then, if that's what you want, then fine." she said as she sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

"Is it freshly squeezed juice? Yes, it is. The eggs are great? Why, thank you, that was my intention. How's the weather? Fair. My hair looks different? Hm, must be because of the fact that I didn't brush, comb, nor style it. Are _we_ going to visit Kagome? Correction, _I_ will be visiting her. Whether you'd like to come or not is none of my concern. Would I like you to do the dishes? Sure. And the last statement of you being a purple-footed giraffe that likes to fold laundry..." she paused of a second. Miroku blinked as he slowly brought his head up to look at her. "...Well, good for you." she finished.

Miroku kept quiet. Hell, what was he supposed to reply to that? He couldn't just say some random thing about her clothes or compliment breakfast. Nope, keeping quiet was a safe spot.

Sango sighed roughly as she stood up from the table. Her bangs covered her face as she leaned her hands on the small wooden table.

"I'm going out." she said just as she left towards the bedrooms. Miroku watched as she walked away and winced as she slammed the door shut.

"What did I do?" he asked himself sadly as he stood up to gather the plates.

'What is my problem?!' Sango thought to herself distressed. She sat in the corner of the bathroom with her hands on her head.. _'I was so angry with him and for what?! I don't even know!'_

'When he got to the table, all I felt was pain. I was so angry. . .so stressed. . .so. . .' she paused for a moment and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink._ '. . .so hurt.'_

'But why? Why did I feel that way?' Sango asked herself as she stood up and walked towards the sink. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes filled with confusion. _'Was it because he groped me? I mean, that wouldn't of made it the first time, right?'_

'Then what was it? Agh, Sango! Listen to yourself! You're confused and distressed over a boy! Never let that happen. Never.' she banged her hands on her head. _'And whoever said it was over Miroku?! It could've been over breakfast! Yeah, that's right. Breakfast. . .'_

'But breakfast was perfect. . .Agh! I don't know. . .' Sango sighed. _'Kagome. I've got to call Kagome to tell her–'_ she paused.

'T-t-to tell her that I'm coming over. Yeah, that's what I have to say.' and with that, Sango charged out of the bathroom and walked over towards the kitchen, where the phone was.

As she was walking she heard the sound of running water. Then she heard several 'clanks!' and 'clings!' being placed into the water. She took a few steps forward only to see that Miroku was preparing to wash the dishes.

Sango took a step back and placed a hand over her heart. Why was it beating again? I mean, of course it beats, that would prove that she was living. . .but why was it beating extra fast now? It was like that before, when she had seen him asleep on the couch. But now, this time it began to pound triple time. She took a small gulp from her throat and closed her eyes.

'My words don't come from the head, but from the heart. . .' Miroku's voice echoed in her head. Then, a flashback of his hand groping her bottom after his words struck her mind. Sango couldn't help but feel a pang of anger at the thought of his sincere words touching her. . .followed by his hand.

Taking a deep breath, Sango marched off into the kitchen, trying to ignore Miroku. Just as she walked in, he looked at her confused. It was a pity for Sango because the phone was next to the corner to where Miroku had been standing. And the only way for her to retrieve it was to work her way around the black-haired director.

Without wanting to speak with him, Sango carefully tried squeezing herself through without having to bump into Miroku. He instantly caught what she was doing and sighed sadly. Washing the soap suds off of his hands, Miroku walked out of Sango way so she could grab the phone.

He leaned against the table with a towel hung over his shoulder. Miroku's arms were folded across his chest as he looked at the clock. Sango looked at him and thought that she almost saw him give her a small glare from the corner of his eye.

As Sango began dialing Kagome's hotel number, Miroku shook his head and finally began to speak.

"Okay, you know what? That's it." he snapped as he tossed the towel onto the counter. Sango just stared at him. Miroku sighed and grabbed the phone from her hands, hanging it up and placing it beside him. "I'm tired of trying to guess what goes through the beautiful head of yours."

A small pink tinge was placed onto Sango's cheeks. He sure had a way to flatter a woman. . .even if he was angry with her.

"What is there to guess?" Sango replied irritated.

"What is wrong? Have I made you angry in any way? Is there something that I did to offend you? There are countless things that you leave me guessing to solve, Sango!" Miroku exclaimed, thrusting his hand in his hair. Sango just looked down.

"Give me the phone, Mr. Houshi." was all Sango said as she walked over to snatch the phone. Miroku slid it further from her. "What're you doing? I need to call Kagome!" Sango hissed.

"Not until you tell me what's the matter." Miroku said sternly. Sango narrowed her eyes at him, but again tried to reach for the phone. Miroku grabbed her hand and held it up. "Now, tell me."

"There is nothing to say, Mr. Houshi. Let release me!" she yelled.

"Is it because my hand had wandered? I apologize, Sango but my hands aren't under my control."

"Oh? And exactly who controls them?! Some mystical aura that walks around the house?!" Sango exclaimed sarcastically. She took back her hand and glared.

"Look, Sango, I'm sorry! I never meant for you to get so angry with me."

"You're sorry?! You think a simple sorry will all of a sudden make me forgive you?!"

"You've never acted this way before."

"And what is that supposed to mean?! That I'm some easy whore?"

"No! Never! I never meant it that way! You're far from easy! You're extremely far from that! You're. . .difficult."

"I'm _difficult_?!"

"No! I didn't mean it in that way either! Agh, nothing is coming out correctly."

"Got that right." Sango huffed.

"Well, excuse me! Maybe if you weren't verbally killing me, things would come out a lot better!"

Sango's silence made Miroku feel like a huge fool and he looked away from her. She couldn't find any words to say to him. Just as he felt during breakfast, how was she supposed to reply to that?

Perhaps it was true. Perhaps she had the tendency to flood Miroku's ears with harsh words. But was that her fault? After all, he _was_ the one that always groped her. He _was_ the one that had the dirty mind. But what struck Sango was the observations of how Miroku was _now_. He _was now_ the one that spoke to her sweetly. He _was now_ the one that's willing to please her with all his might. He _was now_ the only one that had ever made her feel so angry. . .so stressed. . .so hurt, and yet at the same time so happy. . .so important. . .so radiant.

"If you want to call Kagome, then here." Miroku said with a sigh as he held out the phone to her. "Call her."

Sango looked down at the tiled floor, her heart racing. She began to pant heavily, as all that just happened was processing into her mind.

As Miroku held the phone out to Sango, he watched as she looked down and breathed heavily. A sad looked appeared onto his eyes. Her distress caused a pain inside. To make it worse, it was his words that had effected her.

Miroku looked down for a moment, but then lifted his head and gently placed the phone down on the counter. As he turned to walk out of the kitchen, Sango looked up at him.

"Wait, Mr. Houshi. . ." she called out to him. He paused for a moment, and turned around to look at her. Sango walked closer towards him. She passed by the phone, not once touching it. "Why don't we go to the beach for the morning? We can visit Kagome later." a small, sweet smile came upon her lips. Miroku looked at her confused, and just stood there.

"Are you placing pity on me, Lady Sango?" he finally asked. Sango sighed and looked down. "I see." she instantly shot her head up.

"I assure you that my intentions are not by sympathy, Mr. Houshi. They are merely. . ." she paused to think of how she could explain her words. ". . .caused by realization."

"Realization? On what, might I ask?"

"On the fact that I've turned into the person that I extremely hate and have treated you unfairly." Sango sighed as she looked down at the tiled floor once again. Miroku smiled.

"No. You've been the person I always knew you could be and nobody has ever treated me any better." he said as he took his fingers to her chin and gently brought her head up to face him.

At this moment, Sango's cheeks were red with blush and all she could do was stammer out her words. Miroku watched as her quivering lips moved and hid his temptation to place his lips onto hers. His dark violet eyes dug deep into her brown ones, intensifying the moment that they were currently sharing. Sango gulped as she couldn't move. Her legs froze, and her heart pounded faster and faster by each second.

Suddenly, Miroku looked away and cleared his throat. Removing his hands from her chin, he turned to the side and scratched his head nervously.

"Uh, well. . .we'd better get set for. . .the beach." Miroku suddenly said as he took a few steps back.. "Better go out now. The day's bright." he made a nervous smile. Sango gulped as she looked at him, but returned with a small grin. She nodded her head and walked passed him into the bedroom to get ready.

* * *

An hour after Kagome had left Inuyasha in his bedroom, she went through one of her bags and pulled out a small laptop. Minutes later, she succeeded on hooking up her internet to the phone line and placed her computer on the dining room table as she sat Indian style on one of the chairs.

"Okay, let's see what's new on the internet world. . ." Kagome said to herself as she typed in her official website. "Hm, new posts." she observed.

As Kagome read the messages, her small smile slowly faded.

"WE HATE YOU, KAGOME! YOU STOLE OUR HUSBAND, INUYASHA! WE HAD HIM FIRST! BURN ALL OF YOUR CDs! BURN! BURN!"  
"Hi Ms. Higurashi, I just wanted to say that it shocks me to know that you are married to the great actor, Inuyasha, and have kept your relationship on the down low for so long. How did you manage to do it?"  
"I thought you loved me Kagome! You were my wife first! I thought we shared something special at your concert! Remember me? I'm the one that tattooed a 'K' on my cheek! I love you Kagome!"  
"So when ya'll two having a baby?"

"There _is_ no baby!" Kagome exclaimed to herself. "What is it with these people and maternity!?" Kagome gave a small sigh, and continued looking through her mail. Suddenly, an Instant Message popped onto her screen.

SHigurashi: KAGOME! You're actually online!

Kagome looked at the message and smiled. It was her brother back at home, Souta. When she first left for her singing career, he was only a toddler. With that, he was unable to travel with her on tour. However, the two siblings still tried to find time to talk to each other in between breaks.

KHigurashi: Souta! How are you?! It's been weeks since I've last talked to you.  
**SHigurashi:** Tell me about it! Where have you been? Getting married? Hahahah  
**KHigurashi:** Ha-ha. _Very_ funny, you little runt. And no. I've been busy.  
**SHigurashi**: Busy getting married. . .  
**KHigurashi**: _Anyways_...how's mom?  
**SHigurashi:** She's good. She's been cleaning around the house lately.  
  
Ah, and this would perhaps point out exactly where Kagome got her 'neat freak' characteristic from.  
  
**KHigurashi:** Oh, I see. As usual, huh?  
**SHigurashi: **Yup. So what's it like?  
**KHigurashi: **What's what like?  
**SHigurashi: **You know...being married to one of the champs.  
**KHigurashi: **Champs? You're kidding right?  
**SHigurashi: **Come on! It's not everyday you wake up and find out your sister is married! When did you two start dating anyhow?  
**KHigurashi:** Well. . .you see. . .  
**SHigurashi:** You got drunk and got married by accident, huh?  
**KHigurashi:** O.O?!  
**SHigurashi:** Just call it little brother instincts.  
**KHigurashi:** Sure, fine. Anyhow, yeah. I guess you can say your theory is correct.  
**SHigurashi:** Oh...so what're you gonna do?  
**KHigurashi:** I don't know, Souta. I really don't know. Sango says we should play it off, but each day it gets harder and harder.  
**SHigurashi:** Why? Because you fall madly, deeply, and pathetically in love with him?  
**KHigurashi: **Okay, you've been hanging around mom too much. Get some guy-friends! And no, it's the exact opposite.  
**SHigurashi: **Sure, I bet you whenever you're near him you're just dying to make-out!  
**KHigurashi:** Ewww, Souta! Get your mind out of the gutter!

"I like the way that Souta thinks." a sudden smirk is heard from behind Kagome. As she instantly turns around, there she sees, an awake Inuyasha peering at her conversation. "So is he a boyfriend back at you hometown, or what?"

"Excuse you!" Kagome exclaimed, closing her laptop shut. "Ever heard of minding your own business? And no. He's my brother."

"Keh. Siblings." Inuyasha huffed. "They all can burn in hell for all I know." A small gasp came out of Kagome.

"What're you talking about?!" she exclaimed, closing her laptop screen. "Sure they can be a pain in the butt at times, but brothers and sisters are important!"

"Feh. Whatever." Inuyasha replied with as he opened the fridge, only to find absolutely nothing. "Figures. Miroku's too lazy to get up on his ass and buy some groceries."

"He's probably been so busy with the movie that he hasn't had time to go out." Kagome shrugged as she sat on a table across the kitchen. "Why don't we go out for breakfast? It's been a while since I've eaten at a restaurant."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Inuyasha smirked.

"What?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha made a hand gesture of a camera. "Oh, right. Paparazzi." Kagome nodded her head, but shrugged. "So what? We're married, right?"

"Feh. If you say so." Inuyasha turned his back to her and folded his arms across his chest. Kagome rolled her eyes as she got up and walked near him. Grabbing his left wrist, she made him turn around and he looked at her.

"If _we_ say so." she corrected while holding up his left hand to reveal the ring. Kagome then brought up her left hand to show both of their wedding rings. "We're in this together, remember?"

"Feh. Whatever."

'Why is she being so nice. . .' Inuyasha thought to himself. _'She's actually trying to make this lame excuse of a marriage work out. . .'_

"So are you hungry or what?" Kagome said cheerfully as she smiled up at Inuyasha. He just stood and stared at her. Her wide and joyful smile captured his human eyes. For a while, the two just stood there, Kagome's hand on his wrist as they stood only inches apart.

Inuyasha quickly looked away when he realized she asked him a question. A small blush came onto his cheeks.

"Yeah, I guess." he shrugged, pulling back his wrist and walking away. Kagome turned her head and watched as he made his way towards the bathroom to take a shower. She looked at her hand that had held his large wrist. Then, placing it over her heart she sighed.

'Well, the morning came off to a bitter sweet start. . .' Kagome gave a small smile. _'And maybe, just maybe, this marriage won't be so bad. . .'_


	17. Beach and Breakfast

**A/N: **Okay, let's see.. on a scale from 1 to 10 on how sorry I am to allto allmy readers...I would be a million-gazillion-billion squared. Soooooooooo sorry. My lack of updates have been because of highschool, homework, WRITER'S BLOCK, and my social life. I'm really sorry. It's been haunting me to update this story and I know I should've months ago. I hate the fact that I haven't finished this story yet. I also hate the fact that I completely forgot the plot to this. But alas! I shall overcome this hatred and bring you all a great story!

* * *

**_Chapter 17 - Beach and Breakfast_**

After getting dressed, bringing a small basket of food, and a few toys, Sango and Miroku were off towards the beach. Thankfully for them, it was a warm morning and the beach wasn't very crowded.

Sango walked along the beach beside Miroku, feeling a bit embarrassed. It had been a while since she had walked barefoot in the sand. She wore a white and red striped halter top with a layered white skirt that stopped inches above her knees. With her hair up in a tight ponytail, and her hands gripping onto her flip flops, Sango looked down at the sand while she dug in her feet for warmth.

"Well I think this was a good idea, right?" Miroku suddenly said, trying to start a conversation. Sango had become short of words ever since their little "moment" back at the hotel.

Sango just nodded her head listlessly and continued watching the grains of sand slip through her toes. In truth, she couldn't think of anything to say to Miroku. It just wasn't the same being around him. Thoughts roamed around her mind. Did she want him to kiss her? Could that moment have meant something? For her? For him? For both?

"I think this is a good spot." Miroku spoke again as he stopped their trail and laid down a white towel upon the grass. He then unfolded a pink one and attempted to lay it down beside the white one, but he chose to look up at Sango. Her brown eyes watched as he held onto the pink towel, confused and hesitant. He looked away from her and placed the towel a fair distance away from the white one. Sango sighed with, what seemed to be, relief and calmly sat down on the pink cloth.

"The sky looks beautiful this time of the morning." Sango suddenly said as she looked beyond the ocean and at the wandering clouds. She hugged her legs and placed her chin onto her knees. Miroku blinked. That had been the most of words she had said to him since they exited the hotel.

"Ah, yes. But not half as beautiful as you, dear Sango." Miroku said nonchalantly as he stretched out his arms and laid down on his back on the white towel. Sango shifted her head in his direction and stared. Miroku looked at her and winked. A small smile appeared on her lips, but Sango quickly turned away as she felt the hot blush rushing to her cheeks.

'_Perhaps it was just on the spur of the moment. Nothing serious. And even if our lips did meet, I doubt I would've enjoyed it. Mr. Houshi's just a momentary co-worker.'_ she thought to herself._ 'There's no use in making a big deal out of something pointless. Come on, Sango! You're a professional. Confusion is not an option.'_

"Do you have any grey hairs?" Miroku asked suddenly. Sango shook her head and turned to him. Well, that wasn't a planned out question was it?

"No. Why? Do you?" she asked annoyed. He shrugged his shoulder.

"Nah. I'm surprised you don't though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sango spat.

"You just always seem stressed." Miroku sat up and brushed off the sand that had flown into his hair. "It's like for you, it's only work and never any play. No fun at all." he finished.

'_Is he hinting me that I'm. . .boring?'_ she thought to herself.

"Well, just because I'm dedicated to my job doesn't mean that I never would like to play or anything." Sango said as she tried to hide the pain in her voice.

"Yes, but there's a difference between being dedicated. . .and obsessed." Miroku replied. Sango gave a small pout, but tried her best not to make it visible. "You would be. . .obsessed." taken aback by his added statement, Sango released her legs and stood up akimbo.

"I beg your pardon! I am not obsessed." she defended herself. Miroku looked up at her, not impressed.

"Oh really?" he said sarcastically. "Then why do you keep clutching your cell phone wondering if you should call Kagome or not?"

Sango opened her mouth to speak, but immediately shut it closed. How had he known? She had tried her best to hide her cell phone under her purse, but how could he have known she was to call Kagome?

"And don't even try to think up of an excuse." he said knowingly, breaking her thoughts. "Thankfully we've at least spent a few minutes of leisure out on this beach. So, if you want to go back to work and visit Kagome, then by all means go on." he gave a swish of his hand and turned away.

Sango stood her, mouth open with shock. Had he just given her the nonchalant flick? How dare he!

"Well fine then!" she pulled out her cell phone and flipped open the top. Sango stared angrily at the number's buttons. "I think I will go call Kagome. I'd rather spend my morning with her other than a perverted director as yourself!"

"Go ahead and do that. It's not like you'd know what a morning with someone _other _than Kagome feels like. What with you being to absorbed in your work and all." Miroku said carelessly, a small smirk on his face. "Ah yes, go ahead and call. Your life seems to be like one giant agenda. Day after day, duty after duty." he turned his head away from her.

Sango's eyes narrowed as she gave Miroku a death glare. She flipped the top of the cell phone off and tossed it onto the pink blanket. Folding her arms across her chest, Sango gave Miroku one last glare before turning around and walking off.

"So, when shall you be leaving?" Miroku said slyly as he turned his head to face Sango. The only mistake was, she had already walked away! Miroku immediately looked around and saw that Sango was already far away from their resting spot.

"Sango! Sango! What are you doing?" he called out to her. The brown-haired girl turned around and placed her hands on her hips.

"Breaking the agenda!" was her reply as she turned and stomped away. Miroku sighed with grief as he stood up from his spot and ran to follow her.

* * *

"So what is it with you and long hair?" Kagome questioned as Inuyasha gulped down a noodle. She had been asking several random questions all morning.

Taking a sip of his water, Inuyasha sighed with annoyance as he rolled his eyes and stared hard at his "wife".

"I like it. Got a problem?" he said plainly. Kagome shook her head 'no', but continued to stare. Inuyasha chose to ignore it, and tried to continue eating. Unfortunately for him, Kagome remained in a constant stare, causing him to feel a very uncomfortable.

"What is it! Do you have a staring problem or are you just obsessing over how lucky you are to be married to me!" he snapped, causing a noodle to fly out of his mouth. Kagome looked at the soggy substance as it landed on the side of her plate. Silence.

Suddenly, Kagome broke into a moment of girlish laughter. Inuyasha stared at her hard, not realizing that his embarrassment was causing him to blush.

"What would give me a reason to obsess? That I'm married to a man that can't keep his food in his own mouth?" she said mockingly and broke into another moment of laughter. Inuyasha looked away from her with his lips in a small pout.

"Shut-up!" he yelled, almost causing everybody in the restaurant to stare. Kagome's laughing seized as she realized their public mistake. She looked around for a moment, but then placed her hand on Inuyasha's cheek and caressed it lovingly. It caused Inuyasha's cheek to blush with embarrassment even more.

"Oh Inuyasha. You really should be careful with your outbursts, honey." Kagome placed on a smile, it twitched as she tried to hold back her laughing mode. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as she removed her hand from his face. He brought his hands to hers and held them lovingly on top of their table.

"As should you with your laughing, _dearest_. You really should be careful not to annoy the people around you." he smirked. ". . .or in front." he muttered under his breath, causing Kagome to slightly kick him under the table.

Paparazzi "secretly" took photos of the couple's intertwined hands. The clicks of their cameras were echoed throughout the two's ears. Kagome sighed to herself as she took back her hands.

"What're you trying to do anyhow, wench." he muttered towards her while placing a fork of ramen into his mouth. Kagome shrugged as she bent her head down to speak with him discreetly.

"Is it so wrong that I'm trying to get to know the man I'm married to?" she said nonchalantly. Inuyasha huffed.

"We weren't married by choice, you know."

"Yeah, but since I've never been this far with a guy, I want to make the most of it."

"Feh. I don't understand why being married is such a big deal."

"It's a _huge_ deal, Inuyasha!"

"And what makes it so special, huh?"

"Well, it's the next step towards a real life." Kagome sighed to herself again. Her eyes shifted towards the paparazzi and then back to Inuyasha. Thankfully, they couldn't hear the two's conversation. "It's funny though. I always dreamed about getting married when I was younger. But I never would've thought that it would've been like this..."

"Like what?"

"A mistake." Kagome whispered sadly. Inuyasha paused for a moment as he stared at the brown-eyed girl. Her eyes wandered the white table as she sat down. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel sad about her disappointment. "But anyway, how about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you ever want to get, you know, hitched."

"Feh! Marriage is for the weak." Inuyasha looked up at Kagome for a moment, but then back at his meal. "But there was this one time I did."

"Really?" Kagome asked in shock. It never occurred to her how passionate Inuyasha could be on and off set. "When?"

"About a year ago. She was the one, I knew it. I knew that we were perfect for each other." Inuyasha began, playing with his noodles with his fork. Kagome looked at him in concern. "I thought she knew it too." Kagome's mouth slightly opened and it took her a while to close it before the paparazzi would notice.

"You mean?. . ."

"Yeah, she left me before I could say 'I do'." Inuyasha said simply. For a while he just sat there staring at his meal, his eyes not blinking once. Kagome looked at him sadly, her eyes sympathized the man that was her enemy not so long ago. Now she hadn't known what to see him as. An enemy? A husband? A friend?

"But don't go on and feel sorry for me all of a sudden!" he added quickly, finally blinking. "Over time I found out I didn't need her! Her leaving me was one of the best things to ever happen!" he spat, not looking into Kagome's eyes. Though his words were precise, she knew. She knew he didn't mean one word of it. She also knew who the woman was. The woman that ran away from Inuyasha. . .

"Thank you, Inuyasha." Kagome finally said softly. He looked up at her as she smiled.

"For what?" he said irritated.

"For opening up. You know, it's not every day you tell me something this deep. It felt. . .well it made me feel that though it's against our own will, this marriage won't possibly be as bad as I thought it would have." He looked into her brown eyes, confused. Kagome smiled again as she caught Inuyasha's lavender eyes into hers. They both opened their mouths to speak until an arm tugged onto her sleeve.

"Excuse me, Miss Higurashi. Hi, my name is Koharu and I just wanted to say that I'm a big fan of yours!" a frail girl said while cluthing a notebook towards her chest. Kagome looked away form Inuyasha and at the nervous fan. She gave a small smile.

"Well hello, Koharu. It's nice to meet you." she said. The girl released a small squeal, making Kagome stare at her oddly, but giving a small laugh. Koharu placed her hand over her mouth and blushed.

"Would it be all right if I were to have an autograph? Please, Miss Higurashi?" Koharu asked. Kagome nodded her head.

"Yeah! That would be great. Oh, and you can just call me Kagome." she winked, causing the fan to squeal again. Then, 4 other girls from a table near by ran up towards Kagome.

"She said yes?" they all asked in unison. Koharu turned to them and nodded her head feverishly. All of the girls began to squeal, causing Inuyasha to roll his eyes and look away. Kagome stood up from the table and turned her head towards the black-haired actor.

"I'll be back. This will only take a while." she smiled before walking away to another area with the girls.

Inuyasha watched as she signed autographs and mingled with her teenage fans. Her words echoed throughout his brain. That _was_ the first time he ever spoke freely about his lost marriage. Only Miroku knew about it! Still, telling Kagome made him feel no regrets. She had handled it so well. Knowing when and what questions were able to be asked. Something just made him feel so. . .understood.

Looking at her, he sighed. She was sad about her dream becoming a mistake. And on the other hand, he was sad about a mistake becoming a dream. Inuyasha watched as Kagome took pictures with the fans and paparazzi. It was inevitable to him that this looked like what his life could've been if he wasn't stood up. Kagome looked just like _her_. . .The one that left him. . .

. . .Just like Kikyo.

* * *

"Sango! Sango!" Miroku exclaimed as he looked around the beach. He looked left, right, and even up. Still, there was no Sango.

"Where could she be?" he asked himself stressfully. "I hope she knows that I was only teasing!"

Miroku walked around the sand in his dark violet swim trucks. He almost tripped a couple of times, but chose to ignore the embarrassment. Finding Sango seemed to be more important. There was no telling what kind of jerks were at the beach! What kind of perverts! What kind of dirty-minded sick men that only want to flirt with other wome–. . .

"Hello there." Miroku said as he passed by a woman in a yellow two-piece. She smiled at him as she waved shyly.

"My name is Miroku. Miroku Houshi. I'm a director. . .perhaps you have seen one of my movies?"

"Oh, yeah. I think I have." the girl twirled her hair in her fingers. Miroku eyed her body temptingly.

"Well, you look like a young beautiful woman. Perhaps even good enough for one of my movies." he said slyly. The girl looked at him and smiled.

"You really think so? You know, I've been thinking about acting. But the problem is that there are so many steps to take. The paperwork, rehearsing, photo shoots. . ."

"Well, for you, I'll make an exception. Only under one condition." he said slyly. The girl jumped with delight as she walked closer.

"Really! Anything! What?" Then, grabbing both of the woman's hands, Miroku looked at her passionately.

"Will you consider bearing my child?"

**CLONK!**

A rock suddenly hit Miroku smack-dab in the back of his head, causing him to fall down onto the hot sand. The girl looked at him on the ground, and ran away. Miroku's hearing wasn't very clear by the hit, but he could tell that someone was muzzling words towards his two-piece beauty.

After a few minutes, Miroku finally found the strength to sit up. Holding his new found bump, he looked left, right, and even up for the culprit.

"That's three times in a row you've failed to look _behind_." a voice said from the back. Turning around, Miroku saw Sango standing near him with her arms folded across her chest.

"Sango! I've found you!" Miroku said while getting up. The temporary manager stifled a laughed.

"I think it's more like _I_ found you."

"Right. How long have you been behind me anyhow?"

"Oh, not long. . ." Sango shrugged her shoulder as she walked along the sand. She smirked as she looked at Miroku from the corner of her eye. "Oh, Sango! Sango! Where could she be!" she mimicked him dramatically. A second later she sat in the sand laughing.

"Hey! I was worried!" he defended. Sango stopped laughing as she stood up and dusted the sand off of her skirt.

"Oh yeah, you were _really_ worried." she said sarcastically. Sango then began walking towards the ocean. Miroku watched her and began to follow.

"I was. And I don't appreciate you mocking me." he finally said. Sango huffed as she shook her head. "There are a number of things dangerous men would do to a beautiful girl like yourself, Sango. I was concerned."

"Oh, right. Like what you did to that two-piece girl? Telling her you would get her into a movie if she would bear your child! Oh, yes. _Real_ concern. I'm so impressed."

"You know, Sango. . .if I didn't know any better I'd say that you're jealous. . ." Miroku stopped in his tracks as he scratched his chin. Sango paused as she walked and her eyes widened.

"I am** not** jealous." she said sharply as she turned around. "And especially not of _her_!"

"Ehhh, no. I'd say you were jealous. . ." Miroku pushed. Sango walked closer to him, her face scrunching with confusion.

"I was **not** jealous, Miroku!" she exclaimed.

"Really? Then why are you so heated up?"

"Because I don't think it's fair for you to say that you were concerned over my existence when you were busy oogling some pretty face!"

"Would you have been more pleased if it were you I were oogling?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, causing Miroku to grow a perverted grin. She smacked her head with her palm and hissed to herself. "No, wait! I mean no!"

"Well, if you wanted a piece of the action then I suppose. . ." Miroku said as he placed a wandering hand, in it's regular wandering area.

**SMACK!**

"You're _really_ pushing it, Miroku." Sango sneered as she turned her back and began to make her way to their original area. She stopped her tracks as she heard a small laugh release Miroku's body. "What's so funny?" she hissed.

Getting up and dusting off the sand off of his shorts, Miroku shook his head. He looked up over at Sango and smiled. Shifting her eyes left and right, Sango raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

"Well?" she asked once again.

"It's just something that I've realized. . ." Miroku began as he released a small chuckle. "Funny thing, we've both found our own realizations today, eh?" Sango's cheeks began to blush. How _nice_ of him to bring up that moment not so long ago. . .

"Look, okay. . .if you're going to tease me then do it on your own time. It's not worth it if you're going to bring up petty memories." Sango shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave.

"No, it's not that." Miroku called from behind her as he gently took her arm so that she would face him. As Sango turned around, Miroku's eyes were directly into hers. Sigh. How many times was this going to happen?

"It's just that. . ." he began again. This time, Miroku licked his lips as he looked away and released Sango's arm. "You only address me by my first name whenever you're mad. And I suppose it gives me much more consolation if I were to mistakenly irritate a nerve."

Sango was speechless. It had been true. As she stood and recalled back how many times she had said his first name, it had been because she was angry. Angry? Or hurt?

The two stood on the sand in silence for a few minutes. Miroku looked over at the ocean as Sango stood silently on the side with her hand on her elbow. Finally she cleared her throat and spoke.

"Don't tell me this means you're going to go all out on getting me angry?" she said jokingly. Miroku looked at her and a small grin appeared on his face.

"Only if you agree to start calling me by my first name." he replied innocently. Sango looked at him intently. She opened her mouth to speak, but was suddenly cut off as someone tapped her arm.

"Taijiya?" a raspy voice asked curiously. Sango turned towards the speaker. Her eyes widened and a large smile appeared on her lips.

"Kuranosuke!" she exclaimed while jumping into the arms of a brown-haired man. He was tall with light brown hair tied back into a frizzy tail.

"It is you! Sango Taijiya. It's been a while." Kuranosuke said as he wrapped his arms around the excited woman. Miroku stood on the side, staring at the two. He folded his arms across his chest.

"It's been so long since I've last seen you. How've you been?" Sango asked as she finally let go of the random man. A smile was still on her face. Miroku's lips made a small pout at her expression. She never smiled that way with _him_...

"I've been good. Doing good. The Shikon hasn't been the same without you though." Kuranosuke laughed as he nudged her shoulder. Sango gave a small chuckle. "Still haven't found somebody to replace you yet."

"Oh please, Kuranosuke. Don't joke." Sango said modestly. Her face turned pink slightly. Miroku's pout increased. Only _he_ ever made her blush like that...

Miroku cleared his throat to acknowledge his presence. Sango suddenly turned around and held a forgetful expression on her face.

"Oh! Mr. Houshi, this is Kuranosuke. Kuranosuke, this is Mr. Houshi." she introduced. Kuranosuke held out his hand towards Miroku. Taking it, the two men nodded in acceptance.

"Mr. Houshi, eh? I take it you have a first name? Or have I overlooked your first name to be _Mister_?" Kuranosuke joked.

"Ah, no. It's Miroku. I'm afraid Sango and I aren't on the first name basis yet." Miroku joked as he looked over at Sango. She rolled her eyes. "And how do you know Sango, may I ask?"

"Oh, we're partners." Kuranosuke said nonchalantly. Miroku's eyebrow twitched.

"Parters, you say?" Miroku repeated. Kuranosuke nodded his head.

"Actually, we'd be _former_ partners." Sango corrected as she smiled at Kuranosuke. He nodded his head and laughed.

"Yes. She left me a long time ago and I still haven't gotten over the loss." His eyes focused onto Sango. "Nobody has."

"Ah, well that's a shame." Miroku said carelessly as he placed his hand on Sango's waist. He brought her closer to him and grinned proudly. "If that's the case, I'm never letting her go."

Sango's face blushed at the closeness towards Miroku. His warm hand lay gently placed upon her waist as her body is pressed up against his. Kuranosuke looked at the two, confused. Sango rolled her eyes at the action and roughly removed Miroku's hand from her waist. Taking a step away, she glared at the director. He laughed nervously.

"Well it was nice to see you again, Sango. I hope to run into many more times." Kuranosuke said as he began to leave. "You should call me sometime. Maybe we could go out for dinner and reminisce on some things."

"Definitely." Sango called out as she waved.

"It was nice meeting you, Miroku Houshi!" Kuranosuke waved to the two and began his journey across the sand.

Sango waved and turned back towards their blanket site. She began folding the towels they had brought back into the basket.

"What were you thinking!" Sango hissed as she jammed the blankets into the woven basket. "Embarrassing me like that."

"I don't understand how the conversation was at all embarrassing." Miroku shrugged as he sat down on the sand. "If you ask me, it was more flattering."

"Flattering?" Sango exclaimed in disbelief. "Flattering. Holding me like that is flattering?"

"Well it can't be embarrassing." Miroku grinned. Sango sighed. She sat down beside him on the sand.

"Just..." she said slowly. "Don't do it again. Please."

"What's so bad about it, Sango? It's just a little fun. And it's not like he thought too much into it." Miroku laughed as he asked with concern.

"The fact is, I'm not like that. I'm not all touchy-feely. I know what I am and what is expected of me." She shrugged her shoulder. "And I don't want people to think otherwise."

Miroku sighed, but nodded his head. He always appreciated when Sango spoke so serenely.

"Let's get going, Mr. Houshi. I've had enough off-the-schedule moments for one day." Sango turned around and walked her way over to the towels. Miroku watched as she walked. Then, pacing a bit, he caught up to Sango and as she looked over, he smiled. She smiled back. So the two walked along the beach side by side with the sweetest of smiles across their faces.


	18. Day Off

**A/N:**Wow, this chapter was loooooonnnnnng...Just a warning, it'll be a while till I update again. : 

_Dark Mistress of the Night_: Haha, I'm just happy that I managed to escape your 'Update Now!' pokes. :P

_faintscent: _Thanks a lot for the advice. I decided to try it out and I really hope it works out. I appreciate your suggestions. Thanks a bunch. :

_funarahi: _Yeeaahhh, she's 21. Sorry...hehehe. Had to make her legal, but young. Oh well.

Thanks to everyone for their reviews! I really have to start focusing on Inu/Kag moments though... but they're coming! I promise! Also, there may be a few typos. I'm probably just too lazy to correct them. Heh.

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter 18 - Day Off_**

After Sango and Miroku returned from the beach, Sango decided to call Kagome and explain her absence. However, the process of explaining what had happened was very difficult...

"You two were on the beach?" Kagome's voice repeated excitedly.

"Yes, but we didn't do anythi–" Sango tried explaining.

"But you two were on the beach. _Together_?" Kagome cut in again, an eager smile across her lips.

"Kagome, it meant nothing. We just had breakfast–"

"Breakfast? _Together_?"

"Well, we _do_ live with each other, Kagome." Sango stated sternly.

"Right. Right." Kagome replied, still with the thought that the breakfast and beach symbolized something more. The two were silent.

"So did you kiss him?" Kagome asked all of a sudden. Sango nearly dropped the phone with shock. An instant playback came into her mind as to what happened during their angst.

"No!" Sango exclaimed. She bit her lip and stood up nervously. "Almost...I don't know!" she muttered. Kagome's shriek made her remove the phone from her ear.

"So you did!" Kagome exclaimed.

"No we didn't! Kagome, honestly. What do you think of me?" Sango fought. Kagome's giggle was heard from the receiver.

"Sango, _almost_ means nothing. Things are always meant to be answered with a 'yes' or a 'no'. You said _almost_, which means that something must've happened and impacted some significance onto you." Kagome said confidently. Sango rolled her eyes.

"Like how I _almost_ want rip his head off every single time he gropes me?" Sango said wryly.

"Actually, that could've been answered with a 'yes', but since you said _almost_ that means that part of you finds enjoyment to his wandering hands!" Kagome resumed her giggling. Sango rolled her eyes.

"Anyways..." Sango said boldly, thirsting to change the subject. "So what did you do this morning?"

"Not much." Kagome said nonchalantly. "Talked to Souta for a bit and then went out for breakfast."

"Souta's in town?" Sango asked.

"Oh no, he's still back home. I went with Inuyasha." Kagome corrected.

"So I'm guessing things are okay now with you two?"

"I wouldn't count on it." Kagome said sarcastically. "But I've decided to take you and Miroku's advice and try to make this thing work out. I've got to make the best of it, right?"

"Right. And plus, you two only have to be married for a year and a half. At that point, it won't be so suspicious when you two get a divorce." Sango explained.

"The pain of publicity." Kagome groaned. Sango smirked.

"So what time should do you want me to stop by there?" Sango asked.

"I think we've got it covered so far. I haven't had the urge to chop off his hair yet." Kagome yawned. Sango raised an eyebrow. If she had asked Kagome two days ago this same question, her presence would be a must. Now, however, it was as if Kagome had been living there forever. It amazed Sango how just one night at the hotel minimized Kagome's temper.

"Are you sure?" Sango asked for reassurance.

"Yes, yes. And plus, I think you'd love to spend some time alone with you-know-who." Kagome teased.

"Oh no. She's found out my secret. What am I to do?" Sango said emotionless. Kagome laughed at her sarcasm.

"I'll call if anything gets intolerable."

"Alright. Take care then, Kagome. Bye." Sango said as she hung up the phone. She sighed to herself as she walked into the living room. There Miroku sat on the large couch with the tiny remote control. He still wore his dark purple trunks with a white towel hanging over his bare shoulder.

"Leaving?" he asked as he looked up from the television screen. She was still dressed in her beach fit as well. Sango shook her head.

"Apparently they've resisted on killing each other so far, so she doesn't really need my guidance." she said tiredly. Taking a seat on the couch next to him, she looked at the screen.

"So today is ours to waste?" Miroku asked charmingly. Sango gave him an odd look, but shrugged.

"Not unless Inuyasha doesn't call for you." she kept her eyes on the television screen, resisting the urge to look at Miroku. Eye-to-eye moments had happened one too many times already.

"Inuyasha never calls." Miroku said as he stood up. "So I take it that today is a day off." he smiled down at Sango.

"Speak for yourself. I have paperwork to go through. Thousands of calls to arrange. Meetings to attend." Sango folded her arms across her chest as she sat on the couch.

"Come on, Sango. This morning was just a little piece of broken agenda. Wasn't that fun alone?" Miroku persuaded. Sango looked away and tapped her foot on the carpet. Her silence was enough of an answer. "So wouldn't taking a day off be completely off the schedule? Meaning, an entire day of relaxation and enjoyment?"

Sango's eyes drifted from Miroku to her briefcase. Miroku. Briefcase. Miroku. Briefcase. If she went with Miroku she would have a day full of irresponsibility and carelessness. It had been a while since she had an unplanned day. If Sango went for her briefcase, she'd go back to the regular paperwork and constant nagging for photo shoots, radio shows, and live interviews. Then again, going with her briefcase would be what everyone would expect of her. It was completely normal of her to choose work over fun. For Sango, work was her fun.

"Well?" Miroku's voice cut into her thoughts. Sango looked at him and sighed.

"Don't you have work to do as well? What about reserving the city's areas for filming?" Sango asked, hoping to find a weak spot. She really did want to go out and break away from the never-ending chains of business, but she couldn't. It just...wasn't Sango.

"That? Oh, pfff!" Miroku casually flicked his hand in the air. "All my needed areas are reserved. You didn't really think I would start filming without reserving, did you?"

"Well, you don't have an assistant–" Sango began to explain.

"As I've heard before." Miroku interrupted with a mutter. Sango ignored it.

"–And you haven't exactly come off as the most organized director." she finished.

"And I suppose that _you're_ more organized than me?" Miroku grinned. Sango looked at him with disbelief. What was he saying? Of course she was more organized than him! At least if she had an office she wouldn't treat it as if it were her secondary home!

"Of course I'm more organized that you! I get my work done A.S.A.P." Sango fought as she stood up, her hands on her sides.

"Sure. I bet you have tons of left-over papers to sign. Several producers to speak with. Thousands and thousands of meetings to arrange." Miroku said carelessly as he began walking towards the bathroom to take a shower. He watched Sango from the corners of his eyes, a small smile upon his lips. Sango stood with her mouth agape. Did he really think she was _that_ irresponsible? That was the last thing anybody ever thought about her!

"For your information, I've finished all of my work. I have no meetings until next week and Kagome's schedule has already been written. I have absolutely nothing left to accomplish and you know why? Because I've finished everything already!" Sango said proudly. She stubbornly looked away, thinking she had just told-off Miroku.

Miroku chuckled behind Sango. She turned around, completely confused. Didn't she just tell him off? Last time Sango checked, she had been the one that was victorious!

"What?" she asked irritatingly.

"I guess that means that we have a day off after all. Wouldn't you say so?" he gave her a grin. Oh that grin, she thought to herself. He wasn't grinning out of happiness. He was grinning because he had just caught her. Wonderful, Sango. _Just wonderful..._

"You're infuriating." was all she simply said.

"I'll take that as a yes." Miroku said triumphantly. Sango rolled her eyes and walked passed him. As he turned around, he saw that she had gone ahead of him and into the bathroom. Before he could say anything in objection, Sango slammed the door shut. "Ladies first!" he called out and sat back down on the couch. What a perfect day to redeem himself worthy towards Sango.

* * *

"Done." Kagome said happily as she placed the phone onto the kitchen counter. Inuyasha had been waiting to use the phone since they had arrived from breakfast. Kagome had said she needed to make a couple of _short_ calls. However, the word 'short' was an understatement. 

"Finally, wench! Took you long enough." Inuyasha said grumpily as he snatched the phone off of the counter. He began to dial numbers.

"Well excuse me. I was talking to Sango about her glorious morning. And then I called my brother–" Kagome replied, she stopped her explaining as Inuyasha mocked her talking with his hands. He joined his four fingers together as they banged again his thumb.

"Damnit! Miroku's not answering his phone. Now what am I supposed to do all day?" Inuyasha exclaimed to himself, as if Kagome was not there. She glared at him.

"So I called my brother and today is his first school dance! It was so cute. I could hear my mom in the background telling him to keep on his bow tie, but he continued to object. It was adorable." Kagome continued. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me such useless knowledge." Inuyasha said sarcastically as he made his way to his bedroom. Kagome stood up akimbo and sighed with disbelief.

"Hey! When I talk about myself, fine. You can be all rude and careless. But if I talk about my mom or brother, you better be listening." she threatened. Inuyasha turned around and raised his brow.

"What difference does it make?" he asked roughly.

"The difference is that they're my family! If you had any respectful nerve in that thick head of yours, then use it when others are talking about people that they care for." Kagome exclaimed. "I didn't say anything rude about your whole Kikyo ordeal. Despite that fact that she's just as rude and nasty as you are." she added with a mutter.

Inuyasha stood, speechless. He had forgotten he had told her about that. Even though it had only happened a few hours ago, it still amazed him that he had told Kagome. She stood there, her brown eyes burning into his violet ones.

"Feh. Whatever." he finally said and walked into his room. Kagome sighed with grief. Oh yeah. _That_ was unexpected.

What was with him? What he schizophrenic or something? It seemed like every time she had an encounter with Inuyasha, he would become two people. That, going without, talking about his demonic side. Even then, he still acted the same. Arrogant, rude, and obnoxious. Then, at the least expected moment he would become this compassionate character she had never known of. That only happened on rare occasions though.

Giving another sigh, Kagome plopped herself onto the large maroon couch and turned on the television. To her luck, a celebrity gossip show was playing. Ever since the _incident_ Kagome didn't feel all too comfortable with shows like these anymore. They were so fake and only used for entertainment, not facts.

"Speak of the devil." Kagome muttered as a familiar face came onto the screen.

Kikyo sat across the host. A smile appeared on her face as she sat. Kagome rolled her eyes as it was the same, dull smile she had plastered on when her and Inuyasha were on her show.

"Would you mind answering us the question that is on everyone's mind?" the host asked, as if Kikyo's answer actually mattered.

"You mean to say that all of the questions already thrown at me were not from the curiosity of viewers?" Kikyo replied jokingly. There was mild laughter in the audience.

"What is the relationship between you and director Naraku Toshio?" the host asked. Kagome's eyes widened. She instantly sat up on the couch and raised the volume.

She had remembered Inuyasha and Kikyo's conversation. They had brought up Naraku at some point. Something about him knowing about Inuyasha's demonic blood.

"Relationship? Between Naraku and I?" Kikyo repeated. She chuckled a little. "That has been a question asked for quite sometime now."

"Yes, there have been rumors of sightings of you two around the city together. Mind telling us exactly where you two stand?"

"We are merely close friends." Kikyo answered nonchalantly. "With occasional benefits, of course."

"Close friends with benefits? Would not that mean that you two are a pair?" the host instigated.

"I suppose you can say that. However, nothing is certified at the moment." Kikyo smirked, but hid it behind a smile.

"Well now you've heard it everyone! Kikyo and Naraku are a pair!" the host exclaimed as the audience clapped. "After the break we shall hear our musical guest Kouga perform a song from his self-titled album!"

Kagome switched the T.V. off and sighed.

"I knew they'd come out sooner or later." Inuyasha's voice was heard behind her. Kagome turned around and nearly fell off the couch. Inuyasha stood right behind the furniture with a soda in his hand.

"So you heard?" Kagome asked, a bit hesitant.

"Well the T.V. was on a loud volume and my door was open. You do the math." Inuyasha replied mockingly. Kagome shrugged. She'd let that one pass for today.

"Why did you turn it off? Aren't you in love with that Koogu guy?" Inuyasha questioned, slightly teasing. He walked around the couch and stopped towards the giant window. He took a sip of his soda while looking down at the city.

"We've dated," Kagome began, not concerning his mispronunciation. "but only due to the pressure of the media. Feelings were never mutual."

"Oh really?" Inuyasha said with disbelief. He smirked. "Weren't you two like the most adored couple or something? They even had a nickname for you two,"

"The 'Double-K'." Inuyasha and Kagome said simultaneously. Kagome gave a small smile. Inuyasha rolled his eyes with disgust at the cheesy nickname.

"Well, well, well, looks like I've caught you, Inuyasha." Kagome said teasingly as she stood up from the couch. Inuyasha's eyes drifted from the city to her. He raised a brow.

"Caught what?" he asked defensively.

"You do pay attention to certain tabloids." Kagome stated, treating the discovery goldenly.

Inuyasha just stammered his words. Sure, he hated those Gossip shows, but he still watched them. So what if that was hypocritical! Life was boring when having just Miroku as company.

"Whatever. Don't act as if you've just found a cure for AIDS or anything." Inuyasha brushed her off with a careless shrug. Finishing whatever was left of his soda, he crushed the can with his hand and walked towards the kitchen.

Kagome just giggled to herself.

"You're right about shows like that though. They're not always true." Kagome gave in as she laid her back on the long couch. "Kouga and me, pff! There wasn't anything there. He was always so territorial."

"And you're telling me this," Inuyasha said slowly, with no interest at all. "...because?"

"Hey! I'm bored out of my mind and you're not doing anything about it. Might as well try and do something fun." Kagome fought in her defense as she sat up. Inuyasha grabbed a bag of chips and sat on one of the chairs near the kitchen.

"Telling me your life story is considered fun?" he answered wryly. "Gee, Higurashi. It's a wonder what you're like at parties." he added sarcastically.

"Obviously I must be one hell of a party animal if I ended up getting drunk and married in one night, right?" Kagome marked, knowing the perfect words to silence Inuyasha. She resumed laying down on the couch with her hands behind her head. Inuyasha just smirked.

"Seems like you enjoy it." he said while tossing chips in his mouth. "Since you keep bringing it up."

"Don't be so confident." Kagome rolled her eyes. "As I said before, I had a complete different idea as to what it would've been like when I get married."

Kagome waited for a rude comment. He was silent. Shrugging, she continued to speak.

"I envisioned a traditional American wedding. A beautiful white dress with a long tail. Large bouquet of the loveliest flowers. It doesn't matter what color they'd be, just as long as they were all vibrant. I'd want it to be an outdoor wedding. With the sun cascading down on everyone. Shimmering on my white dress. Souta would've looked adorable as the ring bearer." Kagome fell into her thoughts of her ideal wedding. Inuyasha paused eating chips as he listened to her vision.

"Sango would've been my maid of honor. She would wear a very soft lavender dress while all of my other bride's maids wear a creme color. The isle I'd walk down would've been flourished with flower petals. My family all sitting down in one area." Kagome sighed at the imaginary wedding. She had hoped for so much, but received so less...

"What about cameras?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome was a bit shocked at his question. He was actually listening?

"What about them?" Kagome shrugged.

"If it was an outdoor wedding, then they're bound to surround the area. Taking pictures of every little object. Kind of kills the moment, don't you think?" Sure, Inuyasha made a point. Kagome thought about it for a second.

"I think by the time I'm ready to have my own wedding, I'll be ready to face any kind of publicity." Kagome decided. "It wouldn't really matter since I'm with the one I love, right?"

Kagome sat up from the couch and looked at Inuyasha. She smiled sweetly. Inuyasha took a moment to look at her. A few seconds later, he resumed munching down on his bag of chips.

"You're so corny, Higurashi." Inuyasha said in between bites. Kagome shook her head as she laughed at herself. "So what would your reception be like?"

Kagome's heart lifted. It seemed that Inuyasha was enjoying this conversation. He had willingly asked more about the topic. Her smile broadened.

"Well, I'd want it to be some place where the air is warm. Not too warm to make everyone all sweaty, but not too breezy that they'd be cold and uncomfortable." Kagome stated clearly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"As if any wedding wants to have sweaty or shivering guests." he stated dumbly. Kagome ignored his comment.

"It'd be in a giant transparent tent. One that keeps all of the bugs out. There would be a dance floor in the middle with all of the tables surrounding it. A DJ would be in the corner and next to it would be the long table in which me, my husband, and all of our court would sit." Kagome placed her elbow on the rim of the couch. She rested her head on her hand.

"We'd have caterers serve our food. Music. Dancing. A toast. And finally, we'd end the night by exiting in a limo to our romantic get-away honeymoon." She sighed at the dream.

"That's it?" Inuyasha asked, a bit disappointed. Kagome raised her head. "I thought you'd be more creative with your wedding."

"What am I missing?"

"A surprise."

Kagome raised her eyebrow.

"A surprise?" Kagome repeated. Inuyasha nodded his head as he folded the bag of chips.

"You know, a little token to you from your husband or something. From your friends, family." Inuyasha explained. Kagome thought about it. That would be nice...

"That is a nice thought." she nodded her head. "What gave you that idea?"

"Was planning one for Kikyo." Inuyasha said carelessly. Kagome's eyes widened and suddenly she felt very guilty for talking about weddings.

"Sorry for bringing it up." Kagome said apologetically.

"You didn't." Inuyasha said nonchalantly, but still bold enough to be precise that it was not her fault. "Just proves that she wasn't the one to deserve a surprise."

Kagome decided to remain silent. Just in case she replied with something totally offensive.

"How did you two manage to keep the engagement under wraps for so long anyhow? All I knew was that you two were dating." Kagome asked. She knew that perhaps this was a nosy question, but it still was a part of her curiosity.

"When people really want something to be a secret, they keep it a secret." Inuyasha said simply. "Like how I'm a half-demon."

Kagome nodded with understanding.

"So what's this with you and family?" Inuyasha asked, completely changing the subject. Kagome looked at him a bit confused.

"My family?" she repeated. Inuyasha nodded his head. "Well, I love them?" she answered, wondering if that was the answer he was looking for. Inuyasha smirked.

"Well that so much is evident." he mocked. "I'm asking why. What makes them so important to you?"

Now that was a weird question, Kagome thought. What would give her a reason not to love her family?

"I just do." she shrugged. "They're there for me non-stop. Make me happy. Support me. Lots of things. Don't you feel that way about your family?"

The two were silent for a moment. Kagome wanted to smack herself on the forehead. There she went on again. Bringing up tough questions that were obviously not intended to be answered. On the other hand, all of these silent moments made Kagome realize just how much she didn't know about Inuyasha.

"I couldn't care less for my pathetic excuse for a family." Inuyasha finally answered, surprising Kagome.

"What?" Kagome asked in disbelief. How could someone be so careless for their family?

"Dad walked out when I was 6. Mom died a few months before my 16th birthday." Inuyasha explained. Kagome found it odd that he spoke so freely about situations with such angst.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"A brother. Older. Still alive," Inuyasha replied, his voice getting a bit deeper. "Unfortunately."

"I love my brother, even if he is the younger one. What makes yours so different?" Kagome wondered.

"He's the biggest bastard out of all my family." Inuyasha said deeply. Kagome winced at the sincerity in his voice. "I haven't talked to him since my mother passed away. Besides, it's not like he's anticipating a family reunion or anything. So why bother?"

"How do you know that he doesn't want to see you?" Kagome asked, trying to find the optimism in the conversation. Inuyasha eyed her as if she hadn't heard a word he had said.

"I know Sesshoumaru. He doesn't give a damn about me, and the feeling is mutual. We fight. We yell. We curse. Nothing's changed." Inuyasha stated boldly.

"That's how all siblings are!" Kagome exclaimed. She found Inuyasha's point of view a bit childish. It seemed that Inuyasha held more of a grudge toward his brother than a real reason to hate him. "It's like me and Souta. Sure he can be the biggest pain, but I still love him."

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. She always brought up how much she loved Souta. It was sickening.

"Look, you don't have to take my advice, but I highly recommend that you at least make some contact with your brother. See what's new and confirm this suspected tension between you two." Kagome said as she stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "It's worth a shot."

"Keh. Whatever." he shrugged.

Kagome sighed. He seemed to not even consider her advice. Big surprise on that one though. It took him long enough to just listen to her. She wondered how long it would take for him to take advice.

As Kagome walked into the kitchen, she looked at the filming schedule taped on the refrigerator. They hadn't even completed half of the movie yet.

"Looks like we'll be filming tomorrow," Kagome said as she looked at the dates. She frowned as her eyes scanned the paper. "and it'll continue every day after that."

"We haven't even gone through half of the movie yet, and I'm already tired of it." Kagome groaned as she took a seat in the kitchen across from Inuyasha. He smirked as she whined.

"Such an amateur." he shook his head. Kagome scrunched her face with dismay.

"Hey! My acting is doing very well. Ask Miroku yourself, he said so." Kagome fought in her defense.

"You're doing _alright_. 'Very well' is an overstatement." he insulted. Kagome stuck out her tongue at Inuyasha, but smiled.

'_Not much of a compliment...' _Kagome thought to herself. _'but then again, it wasn't much of an insult either...'_

"You smile too much." Inuyasha broke her thoughts. She stared at him oddly.

"What's wrong with smiling?"

"Nothing. You just do it a lot." Inuyasha said doubtfully, he looked watched as Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something wrong with smiling? Or would you prefer me walking around like this?" Kagome puffed out her lips like a fish and created a puffy frown. Her eyes were crossed and her cheeks were puffed out. She placed her fingers behind her ears to extend them. Inuyasha watched before him as the woman that was thought to be his 'wife' transformed into what looked like a monkey!

Inuyasha curled his lips as he tried to stifle his laughter. Kagome kept on the goofy face and began to move her head from left to right.

Suddenly, Inuyasha's lips uncurled and his chuckles were loud and open. Kagome undid her face and watched as Inuyasha laughed. His smile was broad and charming. For the few moments of his laughter, Kagome felt at a daze by his reaction.

She liked it when Inuyasha smiled. Even if he was expressing several sounds of laughter. He never really laughed out of enjoyment. Smirks were the only thing she heard out of him. When he laughed it was. . . warming.

"Alas, I have finally gotten a smile out of you. A _real _one." Kagome said proudly as Inuyasha stopped laughing.

"What's the difference?"

"Well, usually if you ever smile it's only for pictures and interviews. This one was real because I made you laugh." Kagome grinned. Inuyasha shook his head as he tried to hide a small smile from remembering the face Kagome made.

"That was pretty funny." Inuyasha gave in. He stood up from the chair. "One hell of an ugly face."

Kagome's smile faded instantly. Did he just call her ugly? Ouch, that was a bit below the waist...

As he walked towards the couch, Inuyasha looked back at Kagome. Her smile was gone. Suddenly he felt a like a total ass for that last comment. If he could remember anything from Miroku's 'talks' about women, it was the rule to never call a woman ugly (even if she was). And it was even a worse pain to feel if you called an attractive woman ugly.

He sighed as he walked back behind her. Inuyasha placed a hand on her shoulder gently.

"Don't worry about it, Kagome. _That_ face was ugly." he tried to console. "But on your normal days when you're not making yourself look like a goof ball, you're not as hideous."

The side of Kagome's lip rose into a crooked grin. She saw his efforts on consoling others and, though they weren't extremely effective, they were still. . .lifting.

"And plus, you're a cute one." he said while lightly patting her cheek in a friendly matter. Before Kagome could react, he turned his back and sat down on the couch and flipped on the T.V. "Glad I got drunk and hitched to someone like you rather than some old hag with four teeth."

Kagome giggled to herself. Inuyasha was being oddly sweet today. And though they weren't the sweetest of words, they still managed to make her spirit come alive once again.

'_Thanks Inuyasha...' _Kagome thought as she looked back at the couch. She smiled at the back of Inuyasha's head. _'I'm glad to be married with you also.'_

* * *

"Where are we?" Sango whispered hoarsely as she clung onto Miroku's arm. He lead her into a dark building that smelt of smoke and coffee beans. She squinted as a violet light made its way into the room. 

"A stripper's night club." Miroku replied as he kept on walking. Sango's face scrunched up with disgust. She used her free hand to smack him painfully on the chest. He stopped and chuckled. Miroku turned towards Sango and gently covered her hand on his arm. "I'm kidding. It's a surprise."

"But where?" Sango asked. Miroku gave her a sweet grin and continued walking. Her grasp on the arm of his black blazer tightened as she moved closer to him. "Is it safe?"

"Sango, my dear. Have no worries." Miroku consoled as he continued to walk. "It's perfectly safe here. I come here all of the time to relax."

Sango just continued to let her eyes wander as they tried to make out where Miroku was taking her. Miroku smiled at her reaction to the unfamiliar area. He found her naivete to be highly charming. It also showed him a different side to her. A side that obviously hadn't had time to look beyond business. Finally, Miroku stopped as he turned to face Sango once again. Behind him was door frame covered by long beads in exchange for a door.

"And now, Sango. Allow me to present to you _Café Combination_!" Miroku said proudly as he brought his arm out to unveil what was behind the beads. Sango's eyes widened at the room.

It was a dim room that smelt of stronger coffee beans than the outer building. It was a sweet, captivating scent that made Sango's nose tingle. In the front of the room there was a large stage. More than half of the light that shone in the area was pointed towards the stage. A man dressed in black sat down while playing his guitar behind a microphone. Sango observed the audience. There were small tables for two and large separate couches around the room.

"Shall we go in?" Miroku asked as he held out his arm. Sango gazed at him with a confused expression upon her face. Then, taking a look back into the room, she hesitantly accepted his arm as they walked into the café.

"So what is this?" She whispered as he lead her deeper into the room.

"It's an underground performing arts communion." Miroku explained. "I like to come here after long days of shooting. It loosens up stress and irritation."

Leading her onto a table in front of the stage, he pulled out one of the small black chairs and gestured for Sango to take a seat. She nodded her head in thanks and sat down. Miroku took a seat across from her and within a few seconds a waitress came by to take their orders.

"Hey Houshi! Long time no see." A young girl says as she holds a notepad and a piece of paper. She wears a black apron over a white blouse.

"Ah, hello Rin. Yes, it has been a while. I've just started filming a new movie." Miroku explained as he spoke casually to the young girl.

"Oh that's fantastic!" Rin exclaimed happily. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful just like all of your other films."

"Let's just hope so." Miroku chuckled at her compliment. He looked over at Sango, who seemed to have an expression of distaste on her face. "Rin, this is Sango. Sango, this is Rin."

"Hey there! Is this your first time here at _Combination_? I don't think I've seen you around before." Rin said with a sweet smile. Sango couldn't help but return with a grin. She hoped that this girl wasn't a victim of Miroku's wandering hands. She seemed so innocent.

"Yes, this is my first time here. I had no idea they had an underground café in the city." Sango replied.

"You'll love it here! Especially if Mr. Houshi's around." Rin smiled. "He's pretty legendary in these parts."

"I'm sure he is." Sango said wryly. She shot a look at Miroku that made him laugh nervously.

"So what will it be today?" Rin finally asked. Sango stammered her words. She completely forgot to look over the menu. Looking over the many types of drinks, Sango felt a bit pressured for she didn't want to keep the young girl waiting. She also forgot to bring her money so _expensive_ was not a part of her interest.

"The usual, Rin. And Sango?" Miroku replied as he handed Rin his menu. Sango bit her lip as she tried to decide what to order.

"Er...I'll have..." she stalled.

"I'll just put you down for the same." Rin casually interrupted. Usually, that wouldn't been found rude, but in Sango's case it was lifesaving. "You'll enjoy it. Trust me." the girl winked.

Turning around to walk away, Rin paused and looked towards Miroku.

"I'm looking forward to another piece of your dazzling work." she smiled cheerfully and walked away. Miroku grinned as he watched the waitress disappear behind the counter to make their drinks.

Sango looked at him with disgust in her eyes.

"Don't tell me." she stopped him before he could speak. "She's the remedy to your stress."

"Who? Rin?" Miroku asked in amazement. "Surely you are mistaken. Rin is still an adolescent. I would not sink to such low levels."

"Could've fooled me." Sango muttered under her breath. Miroku sighed, but then slowly smiled. Sango folded her hands on the table as she turned her head to watch the guitar player on the stage.

"Dear Sango," Miroku said softly as he placed a hand on hers. Sango snapped her head forward to face him with surprise. "Have you forgotten that you alone are the remedy to my feared solitary?"

Sango's cheeks turned an instant shade of pink. She did not remove her hand from underneath the director's. Her mind screamed for her to take back her hand, but another part made her stay. She feared the other part that overpowered her mind. She feared her heart.

Before she could speak, the lights dimmed. Miroku removed his hand and looked around the room. Sango began to feel worried. What was happening?

"Excuse me, Sango." Miroku said calmly as he stood up from his chair and began to leave. Before she could object, he was gone and lost in the darkness of the room. Sango fell back into her seat and bit her lip.

He had just left her! What a jerk! What an selfless moron to leave her there! It was one thing to bring her to an area that she was completely unaware of. And it was another to leave her! Sango began to tap her finger excessively on the table. She was nervous – a feeling that was not normal for the Taijiya woman.

She felt vulnerable. Moments ago she was allowing a man whom she had found extremely intolerable caress her hand. She also allowed him to lead her in such a place where she had never heard of. She had let her guard down and now it was time for her to pay the consequences.

"Hey there." a familiar perky voice interrupted Sango's thoughts. Rin placed two coffee mugs onto the table. "Where's Mr. Houshi?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Sango said with worry as she looked around. Much to her disappointment, it was difficult seeing much of anything with the darkness. Everyone looked like similar dark black shadows. "You just missed him though. He left just a few minutes ago."

Sango felt Rin sit down in the Miroku's chair. She heard the girl sigh with excitement.

"Fantastic!" Rin exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "I came just at the right time."

"For what?" Sango asked curiously. When her question was left unanswered, Sango figured that it must've been unheard due to the groups of chatter occurring in the background. She shrugged while taking a sip of her coffe and decided not to repeat herself.

"So how long have you and Mr. Houshi been dating?" the innocent girl's voice came in. Sango nearly choked on her drink at the question.

"Dating?" Sango managed to say in between coughs. A light began to shine in the room and Sango's vision returned. She looked across from her and saw that Rin was still smiling as always. The waitress handed her a napkin.

"You two are seeing each other, correct?" Rin said hesitantly. Sango just murmured from behind her napkin as she wiped the coffee off of her chin. "I'm sorry if I assumed anything. It's just that Mr. Houshi has never been accompanied with a woman here at the café. Or by anyone, for that matter."

"I find that hard to believe." Sango said sarcastically. Rin just grinned.

"Believe it, Ms. Sango. Even the elder workers here at Café Combination have said so." the young girl nodded her head. "Each day that Mr. Houshi has arrived here, he's chosen to come by himself. That is, until today."

Sango looked down at her coffee mug. She stared at the liquid as if it were the most interesting thing in the room. In truth, she wanted to hide the blush that appeared on her cheeks. She continued to look down at her beverage.

Was the young waitress telling her the truth? It seemed innocent enough. However, it was difficult to accept that the director whose hands were always in the wrong place seemed to have a place of personal solitude. And now, he was sharing it with her.

The room became silent, and Rin vigorously began to tap Sango's palm. She looked up from her coffee mug and at the smiling girl.

"It's time!" Rin whispered excitedly. Sango placed on a crooked smile. Time? Time for what? Sango groaned silently. She hoped this wouldn't be one of those places where people hugged after ever performance. Oh _please_ make it not be that.

The violet lighting returned and it focused on the stage. Sango's eyes widened at the revealed performer. Miroku.

He held a guitar at hand as he sat down on a black stool. Sango placed down her mug as she began to listen intently as he strummed his fingers on the strings of the instrument

"I apologize for the short length of this performance," Miroku said as he licked his lips. A small grin appeared on his lips. "Unfortunately, I'm on curfew."

The audience chuckled. Sango heard a group of girls in the corner sigh with admiration. She merely rolled her eyes.

"_I'm starting to fashion an idea in my head  
where I would impress you  
with every single word I said._"

Sango watched as the lyrics slid out of Miroku's lips. His eyes were closed and he rotated his head with the music. She tapped her foot on the floor as the rhythm began to flow through her.

"_Would come out insightful or brave or smooth or charming  
and you'd want to call me.  
I would be there every time you'd need me._"

Miroku opened his eyes during his pause. As expected, he held the gazes of the audience in the palm of his hands. All, but one. He looked over at Sango. Her eyes were closed. A quick grin appeared on his lips as he noticed her tapping her foot.

She was listening.

"_I'd be there every time...  
But for now I'll look so longingly  
waiting..._"

Sango found herself being captured within his voice. His words began to flow through her mind as the sun does in the morning. She didn't want it to end. His voice was full of inspiration and sincerity. It made Sango feel like a whole different person. The person she always wanted to be. The person she was meant to be.

"_For you to want me,  
for you to need me,  
for you to notice me._"


	19. Screen Additions

**A/N: **Bleh. I loathe high school. 'Nuff said.

Oh yeah. I forgot to put up a 'Disclaimer' on the previous chapter. I don't own Inuyasha, nor did I own the song that Miroku sang. It's a song by 'Dashboard Confessional'. So yes. Okay.

I might edit this chapter again. Sorry if there are any typos. I'll fix them at some point. It's Spring Break! Woohoo!

* * *

**_Chapter 19_** - **_Screen Additions  
_**

"_Inuyasha?" the familiar voice whispers. He sits on the side of a white bed, hands covering his human ears. His fingertips are barely squishing his dog ears for silence._

"_Inuyasha?" the feminine whisper continues. He presses harder on his ears in order for the voice to go away. He did not want to hear anything._

_Kikyo seemed to keep reappearing in his dreams ever-so-often. Inuyasha didn't desire to see or hear from her. Especially not after her publicity about the relationship with Naraku. He had nothing to do with her, so why continue on? What happened between Inuyasha and her was as good as dead._

"_Why are you shutting me out?" She continued to whisper. Inuyasha kept his mouth closed as his dog ears began to twitch underneath his fingers. He did not want to talk back to the dream._

_He refused to reply._

"_Let me..." the words drifted from her mouth._

"_I need to..." Inuyasha hesitantly softened his grasp on his ears out of curiosity. He only caught the beginning words to her sentences._

"_I want to..."_

"...be with you."

Inuyasha instantly opened his eyes as his head rested on a pillow on the carpet floor. Slowly, he placed his hand on his head to make sure his monthly transformation hadn't occurred. He cursed himself for not remembering the last time he had turned half-demon.

He sat up and looked over at the bed. It was empty. The door to the bedroom was slightly opened and he began to rub his eyes.

"I know this decision is difficult for you, but don't you think it's been bothering me as well?" he heard Kagome's voice from outside of the door. Standing, he slowly peeked outside to see what she was doing.

"I want you to be happy, but I also want you to consider my part in this as well." Kagome talked to herself as she held onto a thick pad of paper. Inuyasha smirked as he watched the young actress move back and forth in the living room.

She was practicing her lines.

"I want to be with you, Etsuya. Really, I do." Kagome pleaded. "But moving to a different era? I've just settled to living here in my home recently. I have my family and friends here. What will become of them?"

Her voice cracked at the few lines. Inuyasha watched as Kagome forced fake tears in her eyes. For a second, his eyes sunk with pity and concern. He quickly resumed his natural composure after realizing that she was only practicing.

Damn she was good.

"I'm not asking for you to stay here with me, Etsuya." Kagome said sternly. "I'm asking for you to make a choice for your own happiness. For your own future – even if it is one without me."

"So what am I supposed to choose?" Inuyasha lightly whispered from behind the door.

"I want you to direct your own life." Kagome said sadly. "What do you _want_ to choose?" Kagome asked while imagining her co-star in front of her.

"My life? I have no direction whatsoever for my life." Inuyasha said out loud as he pushed open his bedroom door and walked towards Kagome. She nearly jumped at his entrance. Placing a hand over her beating chest, she chuckled slightly at her fright. Before she could speak, Inuyasha began to continue with his line.

"But if I leave you, all hopes of life will be fatal." Inuyasha gently lifted Kagome's hand into his. His violet eyes dug deep into her brown ones. "I love you. And I don't want to walk away without you knowing that it is _you._"

"Etsuya, you don't understa–" Kagome began to continue along.

"If I leave now, we will never live the lives that we both desire." Inuyasha cut her in. His face inched closer to hers. "And I will also be walking away from the only life that I know I'll love before even living it."

Kagome felt her chest pounding with extreme nervousness. Her cheeks burned pink at Inuyasha's words. He seemed so sincere with what he said and that gave Kagome such an odd feeling. Odd, but nonetheless good.

"Wow..." Kagome blinked with perplexity. Inuyasha smirked and turned around towards the kitchen.

"I thought filming doesn't start till 8?" he asked while looking through the refrigerator. Kagome shrugged and tossed the script on the glass table.

"I wanted to be more prepared. And besides, someone gave me a tip that reading lines out loud made it easier to memorize them." Kagome said as she winked at Inuyasha. He rolled his eyes.

He picked up an apple and sat down on the couch to turn on the television. Kagome followed and sat down next to him.

"So what did you think?" she asked eagerly. Her hand clutched on one of the pillows with anticipation. Inuyasha observed her with amusement, but shrugged.

"About what?" he asked carelessly. He wanted to laugh at the disappointment placed on Kagome's face. It was like watching a child frown after missing the ice cream man truck.

"About the scene!" Kagome continued to try. "Am I doing better?"

Well this was a first. _She_ was asking _him_ for criticism?

"Feh." he answered nonchalantly.

"Feh?" Kagome repeated with disbelief. Sure, she knew she wasn't exactly the _best_ actress, but she knew that she was better than a simple 'Feh!'.

"What do you want me to say?" Inuyasha asked carelessly as he turned to look at her. Kagome placed a finger on her chin as she thought.

"The truth would be nice." she smiled sweetly. For a moment, Inuyasha just looked at her smiling. It was so innocent that it made the corners of _his_ lips rise.

"Honest truth?" Inuyasha asked.

"And nothing but the truth!" Kagome answered excitedly.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Really, really sure?"

"More sure than I've ever been."

"Not a single white lie?"

"Nope. I want the bold truth."

"So no lies?"

"INUYASHA!" Kagome whined as she lightly hit his head with a pillow. She giggled. What a beautiful sound.

"Okay," Inuyasha began as he tried to hide a small grin.

To be honest, she was surprised that he didn't yell at her for hitting him with the pillow.

"Your posture was a bit stiff, making the audience a bit hesitant over how you're feeling. Facial expressions are also very important schemes, so you've got to work on those." he began. Kagome's lips made a small frown. But hey! This was criticism, right? Every actress had to be a victim of the good and the bad.

"And your tears," Inuyasha continued. Kagome gulped as she tried to prepare herself for what he was going to say. She had worked so hard as to forcing tears in her eyes. It was simply something that took a lot of practice.

"They were perfect." he finished. Kagome's eyes lit up with surprise. Perfect? They were perfect!

"Really?" she asked with a wide smile. Inuyasha looked away and bit into his apple.

"Don't get overconfident. They might've been perfect offset, but when we're filming is when it really counts." He casually got up and threw away the eaten apple. "Keep practicing though." He called out casually while walking towards the bathroom to take a shower.

After Kagome heard the sound of the door close, she raised her arms in the air and made a gesture of triumph. Swinging her arms in the air, she cheered herself on for accomplishing the scene's tears.

She jumped with excitement. Inuyasha, an award-winning actor whom incredibly despised her, had just complimented her work! Oh yes, this was a nice morning.

Kagome stood up from the couch and began to dance. She smiled broadly as she walked towards the window. While dancing along the glass of the window she began to sing to herself.

"Oh what a wonderful morning," she sang. "Oh what a wonderful day. Oh what a wonderful feeling. Every thing's–"

Inuyasha cleared his throat in the background. He held a smug smile on his face as he leaned his arm on the bathroom's door frame.

Kagome tripped on her foot at the sudden sound. She immediately fell down on the carpet floor – her face red with embarrassment.

Inuyasha chuckled as he shook his head. He glared at Kagome with disbelief. Yep. _This_ was his wife.

Sitting up straight, Kagome pushed some hair in the back of her ear. Her cheeks still burned with embarrassment.

"...going my way?" he finished her sentence. Laughing nervously, Kagome nodded her head. He smirked.

"Weren't you going to take a shower?" Kagome asked as she stood up and straightened out her pajamas. She tried to breath in order for her blushing to cease.

"I was," Inuyasha said. "But _someone_ replaced contents of the bathroom. What the hell did you do with my shampoo?"

Kagome stood with her mouth agape. The nerve of him!

"If by 'shampoo' you mean that disgusting thick bottle of goo, then I'll gladly tell you that I threw it away and replaced it with something of better effect. You know, one that actually _cleans_ the hair." She stood up akimbo and glared irritatingly at the whining actor.

"Well the next time you want to throw away good shampoo," Inuyasha began. "Don't."

"_Good_ shampoo?" Kagome replied with disbelief. "Did you even look inside the bottle? It was filled with God-Knows-What and it didn't even smell good!"

"Neat-freak.." Inuyasha muttered..

"Hygiene-supporter." Kagome corrected. Inuyasha just scoffed as he turned back and closed the door behind him to the bathroom.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome sighed. Looking down at the window of the hotel room, she smiled and began to sing once again.

"Everything is going my way."

* * *

Miroku yawned as he heard the ruffling of papers behind him. He felt the sunlight shine on his eyelids. He stretched on the couch and shifted his position as he clutched his pillow.

"Rise and shine, Mr. Houshi. You've got a long day ahead of you." Sango's voice awoke him. He looked up towards the kitchen table and saw her back facing him.

"I see I'm back to a last name reference." he said in a tired, yet audible voice.

"Of course you are," Sango replied. "You have to be really special for me to call you by your first name." she teased.

"Either that, or make an ass of myself."

"And so far you've chosen the second route."

"Can't the reasons be conjoined?"

"I guess we'll have to see." Sango replied with a small smile on her lips that Miroku couldn't see. He just chuckled.

Miroku yawned as he sat up on the couch.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"6:50."

"Wake me up in 4 more hours." Miroku said tiredly as he fell back onto the couch.

"Miroku!" Sango exclaimed as she looked back at him. She wore her thin-framed glasses with her hair in a bun. "Today is the day you resume filming, remember?"

He replied with a groan.

"Take responsibility." Sango encouraged.

Groan.

"Be a man."

Shift.

"Make Rin proud."

Miroku's eyes shot open. He sat up and looked at Sango with a grin. She looked at him confused.

"Ah, yes. Little Rin." Miroku stood up and stretched. "I'm guessing you two were better acquainted last night?"

Sango turned her back towards him and continued looking through her papers.

"I suppose you could say that." she replied. "She's a sweet girl."

Miroku nodded in agreement.

The two stood in silence. The only sound in the room was the ruffling of Sango's papers.

Miroku wished he could hear what Sango was thinking. Surely the mention of Rin brought back thoughts about his performance. What was she thinking?

"I never knew you could perform like that." she finally spoke.

"What? With a guitar?" Miroku asked as he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of orange juice. "Or sing?"

"Well, both." Sango placed her papers down and looked at him. "I never knew you ever performed in places like that. Not to mention the fact that you're considered as 'legendary'."

A small grin appeared on Miroku's lips as he drank his juice.

"Sango my dear," he began as he sat down across from her. "There are many things that I am capable of doing – I just choose not to do them."

"I'll take your word for that, Mr. Houshi." Sango replied with no emotion. She resumed looking through her papers and glancing at her cell phone. Miroku frowned.

She was back to being the regular Taijiya. Not Sango. She was _Taijiya_. Big difference.

"You had fun last night, didn't you?" Miroku cut in. His heart began to pound a second faster as her eyes shifted towards him through the rims of her glasses. She was amazing.

"It was..." Sango said slowly. "A new experience."

He frowned.

"Bull." Miroku said with disbelief. "You had fun and you know it."

"I think I would know if I had fun or not." Sango defended herself.

"No, you wouldn't." Miroku continued to tease her. Sango placed her elbows on top of her papers.

"Mr. Houshi," she said sternly. "Are you inferring that you know me better than I know myself?"

"I never said that, dear Sango." he smiled slyly. "However, perhaps that is what _you_ are thinking."

"Now you're shitting me." Sango placed her eyes back down at her paper. Her knee moved up and down as she tried to concentrate on her work.

"Dear Sango! Why would I choose to 'shit' you? Which, might I add, is improper language for a very proper woman."

"Don't act like you know me," Sango said seriously. "Because no matter how much you think you do, you don't."

"All I'm saying is that I think you had fun yesterday." Miroku held out his arms in innocence. "Did you?"

Sango paused, and then sighed.

"Listen, Mr. Houshi. I am not going to be a victim of guilty pleasures while on the job." She said while flipping open her phone.

"Guilty pleasures?" Miroku asked. Sango tapped her foot on the tiled floor nervously. She gulped nervously. "What guilty pleasures?"

Silence.

Sango tensed as she sat down and fiddled with her phone. She felt Miroku's eyes on her. Hopefully, if she kept quiet he would let the question slide.

"Sango?"

Okay, maybe not.

_Damnit, Miroku._ Sango thought to herself.

Why was she so nervous? And why couldn't she allow herself to answer one simple question: 'Did you have fun last night?'

For the first time in Sango's life, she didn't have the answers to everything. It seemed that way ever since the filming of this movie started. A change, she found it to be. Though she wasn't sure if it was for the better or the worse.

"What guilty pleasures?" Miroku asked again, cutting into her thoughts. Her mind cracked.

"As in you!" she exclaimed. Her eyes widened as the words escaped her lips. Miroku sat back in his chair, a look of disbelief on in his face. In a few seconds, Sango dialed Kagome's number and began to call it.

Standing up, she placed the phone towards her ear and made her way towards the door.

"...–r performance. Your performance." Sango tried to correct herself as she walked. Miroku remained silent. "I meant to say your performance."

Miroku turned around in his chair to face her, but she cut him off before he could speak.

"I've got to call Kagome." Sango said nervously. She bit her lip as she held onto the doorknob.

Turning around, she looked at Miroku. Biting her lip, she closed her flip phone for a few minutes.

"And for the record," she said softly. "I did enjoy the day off yesterday."

And with that, she closed the door. Miroku felt his lips rise in a wide smile. He knew she'd enjoyed it.

He just knew it.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she opened the door to the set. Though she loved acting, it was just so aggravating at times. Not to mention the fact that she tried memorizing her daily lines the night before filming.

"Kagome!" Sango's voice echoed. Kagome looked up and smiled as her temporary manager came speeding towards her. "We need to get you into costume and makeup. Filming is about to begin."

"It's nice to see you too, Sango." Kagome said jokingly as she was rushed to the costume and makeup rooms.

Minutes later, Inuyasha arrived through the same door. He was met by Miroku as the two exchanged handshakes.

"Where the hell were you yesterday?" Inuyasha spat with annoyance as he and Miroku began to walk through the set. "I tried calling your phone but there was no answer."

"Well that's a first." Miroku said jokingly as he chuckled. "I was out."

"Doing what?" Inuyasha huffed. "Picking up prostitutes?"

"Alas, dear Inuyasha. You have much to learn." Miroku sighed. "For I am not one to hire women to degrade themselves of their bodies and innocence."

"Keh!" Inuyasha flung his arms with disinterest. "So what did you do?"

"If you must know, I spent the day with the Lovely Sango."

"Taijiya!" Inuyasha exclaimed. Seconds later, he shook his head and began to snicker. "What did you do to convince her?"

"There need not be convincing, Inuyasha. We merely spent the day enjoying each other's company." Miroku replied, a bit disappointed that Inuyasha thought he needed a threat in order for Sango to accompany him.

"Feh. Whatever." Inuyasha shrugged. "How many slaps did you get this time?"

Miroku took the time to think about this. He hadn't pulled any lecherous maneuvers all day. She hadn't gotten entirely mad at him. Not _entirely_, that is.

"Like I said, Inuyasha. We spent the day enjoying _each other's_ company." Miroku said proudly. "There were no reasons for slaps or punishments."

Inuyasha just smirked with disbelief. Though it didn't seem like it, he was quite amazed with Miroku's accomplishments.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Your hair smells like Herbal Essences." Miroku tried to hold back his laughter. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

Suddenly Miroku felt the weight of Inuyasha's fist on his head.

"The wench changed my shampoo!" Inuyasha defended. Miroku got up and dusted off his shirt. He shook his head as he laughed. Inuyasha stomped off towards the costume room.

Miroku called out his name and forced him to turn around. Expecting an apology, Inuyasha formed a smug smile and turned to looked at the black-haired director. His smile disappeared.

There Miroku was, standing under an invisible shower head as he rubbed his hands in his hair full of invisible shampoo. He imitated a woman from an Herbal Essences commercial.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Miroku exclaimed in a high pitched tone as he 'washed his hair'.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

No sooner did Miroku's imitation come to a halt as he was hit forcefully and painfully by a large, round donut. The white powder clung to his black hair. Inuyasha's stomps were echoed through the set.

* * *

"He serenaded you!" Kagome squeaked in her seat as Sango sat on the edge of the table with a bright pink face.

"We can't say that he did." Sango bit her lip. "He was singing to an audience of people. It would be wrong to assume that the song was towards me..."

"Oh Sango," Kagome giggled as she shook her head. "Trust me when I say: That song was totally for you."

Sango's blush deepened.

"It's all so romantic." Kagome sighed dreamily. Sango raised an eyebrow at the starry-eyed actress.

"Kagome! Don't think such things. Mr. Houshi's just being his regular perverted self." Sango crossed her arms across her chest.

"He hadn't made a single perverted gesture the whole day yesterday, Sango." Kagome informed. Sango scoffed.

"And how would you know?"

"Well, you didn't mention any." Kagome shrugged. "I just would've figured."

"Oh, please. Just because I haven't mentioned any doesn't mean that they weren't done." Sango hissed.

"Okay then," Kagome said slowly. "Then tell me, Sango. Did he complete a perverted gesture?"

Sango huffed as she opened her mouth to speak. Before any words came out, she found herself pausing. Kagome gave her a triumphant grin.

"Well, he..." Sango began, but found her voice trailing off. "His hand..."

"Uh-huh..." Kagome said unimpressed. Sango stammered out her words as she helplessly tried pinpointing a perverted gesture.

"He tried to..." Sango bit her lip. There was silence between the two as Sango sat in contemplation. Suddenly, a scene was caught into her head and she shot up, almost making Kagome jump from her seat.

"A-ha!" Sango exclaimed. "He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer _while_ we were talking to someone."

Kagome raised an eye brow.

"What?" Sango's triumph faded. "He did!"

"I'm sure." Kagome said wryly. Sango began explaining the situation at the beach. "Look, Sango. It's not that I don't believe you. It's just that I don't see how it's a sign of lechery."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sango said in defense. "He's a lech! How dare he enter my personal bubble while in front of people! It's rude and it completely—"

"Swept you off your feet?" Kagome said with a smile. Sango rolled her eyes as she picked up her clipboard and sat down. "Something's gotta be up. I mean, think about it Sango. You just used the term _personal bubble_. That was like, what? Third grade?"

"Not the most professional term, but it still works." Sango said proudly. "And there is no chance Mr. Houshi could ever sweep _me_ off my feet. They're too deeply implanted in layers of paperwork." Sango muttered. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed.

"What ever happened to 'Give it a chance. He's a great guy.'." Kagome mimicked. Sango placed down her clipboard.

"I was talking about Inuyasha. Mr. Houshi is a completely different guy."

"Yeah." Kagome scoffed. "He's way better."

"Oh trust me," Sango snorted. "Houshi is...just..."

"Charming?" Kagome suggested. Sango snapped her head with a 'no'.

"Polite?" she tried again.

No.

"Handome?"

_Gorgeous is more like it,_ Sango thought in her head. Blushing, she shook away her thoughts, and gave Kagome a gesture that lied 'no'.

"Intelligent?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome, I can finish this sentence alone." Sango gave her a small smile. Sighing, Kagome nodded her head and became silent.

Kagome waited for Sango to finish her sentence. Unfortunately, that took longer than expected. Kagome's hair and makeup was finished before Sango could even describe the perverted director on her own.

Getting up from her seat, Kagome turned to face Sango.

"Sango, you're my best friend and I wouldn't lie to you at all." she stated. Sango nodded her head. "And as a friend, I should inform that..." Kagome placed her hand on Sango's shoulder.

"...You're completely sprung off of Miroku."

Before Sango could even deny Kagome's statement, the young actress headed out of the room towards the set. Sango looked outside of the door and sighed. She turned her head to face the giant mirror.

Her face was a blushing pink.

Agh! Why did this always happen? Especially when talking about _him_! Things were just getting harder and harder for Sango.

Highlighting the fact that she felt more than she wanted to for Mr. Houshi.

Much more.

* * *

"So what am I supposed to choose?" Etsuya asked helplessly as he sheathed his sword. Asami stood with her knees weak and her head down. Her arms wrapped around herself.

"I want you to direct your own life." Asami said sadly as she struggled to keep her voice clear. "What do you _want_ to choose?"

_Remember, Kagome. Perfect tears. Perfect tears. Perfect tears._ Kagome chanted in her mind.

"My life?" Inuyasha broke her thoughts as he took a step closer. "I have no direction whatsoever for my life."

"But if I leave you, all hopes of life will be fatal." Etsuya said as he swept Asami into his arms. "I love you. And I don't want to walk away without you knowing that it is _you._"

For a moment, Kagome completely forgot her next line. All she thought about was the fact that Inuyasha's gaze was upon her. His words were directed to her. His heart belonged to her.

"Et-Etsuya, you don't understa–" Asami said, unable to keep herself from stuttering.

"If I leave now, we will never live the lives that we both desire." Etsuya cut her in. His face inched closer to hers.

Kagome hid herself gulping out of nervousness.

"...and I will also be walking away from the only life that I know I'll love before even living it." Etsuya continued as he whispered the words in Asami's ear.

Kagome felt her heart beating once again. It was the exact same effect Inuyasha had placed on her at the hotel. Only now, their faces were in a close distance that didn't seem to nerve Kagome a tiny bit.

I mean, only a _tiny_ bit, right? Tiny...

"Cut!" Miroku's voice came in. He clapped his hands together and gave a triumphant yell. "Okay, that was good people, but we don't want _good_. What we want is _great_.!"

"What we _need_ is rest." Kagome muttered to as she stood with her arms folded across her chest. Inuyasha snickered at her comment. Kagome gave him a small smile.

Ignoring their comments, Miroku pondered to himself just exactly what the scene needed. Sure, it was fantastic as is, but _something_ could've made it better. More intense. More serious. More serene.

...More romantic.

Just then, a light bulb instantly went off in his head.

"A-ha!" he said suddenly, causing Sango to nearly fall out of the seat next to him. "A kiss is what we need! That's just it. A kiss!"

"A what!" Sango, Inuyasha, and Kagome exclaimed simultaneously. The rest of the stage's crew watched them with curiosity.

"There's no way in hell I'm kissing Higurashi!" Inuyasha called over, making several crew men mutter words for volunteering for the act.

"It's not like I'm looking forward to kissing you either, dough-head." Kagome mumbled under her breath. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed down at her.

"Mr. Houshi," Sango bit down. "Mind explaining what you're trying to do?"

"Relax, Sango. I'm not trying to start anything or play the part as Cupid." Miroku told her. "I'm merely trying to make this movie spectacular! A kiss would be a wonderful addition, don't you think?"

"I'm having no part in this." Sango shook her head as she resumed looking through papers attached to her clipboard. "You're the director."

Miroku grinned widely. "Exactly."

The director turned over to look at Inuyasha and Kagome, the two were arguing once again. Miroku sighed.

"Would you just get over it, Inuyasha? It's just a kiss!" Kagome said bitterly.

"How do I know what's been on your lips? I might get herpes!" Inuyasha fought in return. Kagome's huff echoed.

"Herpes! You must be joking." she exclaimed. "If anyone should be worried as to what's on whose lips, it should be me! You don't even know how to properly wash your hands, let alone your face!"

"I hope you two are finished flirting – because I'd really like to finish this scene." Miroku said dully as his voice echoed. He stood up from his chair and walked over towards the two. "Besides, you both are married, what's the problem?" he grinned.

Inuyasha mentally cursed him for using such an alibi.

"Fine." Inuyasha and Kagome muttered as their backs faced each other.

"Good." Miroku nodded his head. "Now, I want this to be a simple, sweet kiss. Not too passionate and smothering, but romantic enough to make your audience swoon. Remember, this is only a jest of what's in store for further filming."

"I have to kiss her more than once?" Inuyasha groaned. A vein popped on Kagome's forehead as she smack the back of his head. Before he would retaliate, Miroku cleared his throat.

"Inuyasha, first I want you to resume holding Kagome as you did before." he instructed. Inuyasha looked over at Kagome, who merely glared at him in return. Miroku waited for them to get closer.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome inched towards Inuyasha as he brought his arm around her waist. The two sighed with aggravation.

"Then what?" Inuyasha asked.

"As you say your last line, I want you two to look at each other with eyes that say: _Damnit, I love you._" Miroku nodded fiercely.

"_Damnit, I love you?_" Sango repeated from behind. She scoffed. "Yeah, _that's_ romantic, Houshi."

"Glad you think so, Dear Sango." he turned around and smiled at her sweetly.

Turning back to the two actors, Miroku gestured for them to practice. They did as told, but he was still unsatisfied. They followed this pattern several times.

"No, no, no," Miroku shook his head. "I want you to _hold_ her–"

"And what do you call what I'm doing!" Inuyasha snapped as his body was pressed against Kagome's with his arm around her waist.

"Yes, but where is the passion? Where is the purity? Where is the love?" Miroku said seriously.

"Up your ass." Inuyasha muttered under his breath, causing Kagome to giggle slightly on his chest.

"So within a few seconds of pure silence and gazes, I want you two to–"

"Slowly come towards each other's face and create a sweet, soft kiss." Inuyasha and Kagome repeated dully.

"Perfect!" Miroku said proudly as he began walking back to his seat next to Sango. "We're starting off at '..and I will also be walking away..'." Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement.

"Action!" Miroku called out.

"..and I will also be walking away from the only life that I know I'll love before even living it." Etsuya whispered in Asami's ear. The two gazed into another's eyes. Kagome and Inuyasha patiently waited for Miroku's cue.

_Here it goes..._ Kagome thought nervously to herself.

Cue in: Kiss now.

Inuyasha's arms around Kagome's waist tightened as he moved closer towards her lips. Kagome closed her eyes as she followed suit and waited until her lips met his.

In less than a second, their lips finally touched.

Kagome's heart began to pound faster as she felt Inuyasha's lips on hers. Her head began to feel dizzy at the intensity. Her mind was flushed with nothingness and all she could think of was how the kiss felt.

Inuyasha found their kiss deepening more than planned. His head slowly turned to the side as they kept their lips in tact. His eyes were closed – focusing on the kiss. Kagome's lips were soft and sweet – making him crave more.

It was tempting.

Inuyasha's kiss was gentle enough to make Kagome continue on. He was not rough as to where the pressure of their skin was clamped. Yet, he was not terribly gentle as to making it seem like she was kissing air.

It was enchanting.

"Cut." Miroku finally said. The set was silent as they all watched the two on screen.

Inuyasha and Kagome immediately parted at the final end of the scene and merely stared at each other. They tried to manage their intense breathing.

"I guess we're done for today." Miroku said nonchalantly as he looked behind his shoulder at Sango and smiled. "Cupid couldn't have done it better than that." he whispered to her. She shook her head and smiled.

"G-good scene." Kagome stuttered as she walked passed him towards the dressing rooms. She walked quickly with her fingertips outlining her lips.

Inuyasha merely stood still in the same area where she had left him. He looked over at Miroku, who seemed to be grinning in his direction. Miroku gave Inuyasha two thumbs up. The actor looked away and began to walk to his dressing room.

They both replayed the kiss in their minds as they undressed from their screen clothes. The taste. The touch. The feeling. They were completely infatuated with the thought of their lips on top of each other's.

And infatuation, mind you, was _not_ something written on their scripts.


	20. I'm Glad

**( A/N:** I'm going to go Inu/Kag crazy since this fic was originally dedicated to those two anyhow. Sorry if I've been neglecting them.

Anyhow, enjoy the rest of this fic. Thanks for the reviews everyone!

Okay, you guys. This chapter was about 19 pages. WOOHOO! My chapters are getting longer. Anyways, this is spring break so hopefully I'll be able to write more. However, I've got tons of homework and a project to work on, so here is my apology in advanced for not updating.

Alright? Alright.

* * *

**_Chapter 20_** - I'm Glad

Kagome awoke discreetly the next morning. She crawled towards the edge of the bed to make sure Inuyasha was still asleep. Biting her lip, she silently placed her bare foot on the carpet and tip-toed to the bathroom.

It was 8:06 AM and there was just enough time for her to get ready.

She gently twisted the knobs of the shower as the water fell into the tub. The steam of the water flew through the room. As she was about to close the door to the bathroom, Kagome jumped in surprise to find Inuyasha at the door frame.

"Yo." he greeted. Kagome placed a guilty smile on her face as she wiggled her fingers in a 'hello' manner.

"Sorry, did you want to shower first?" Kagome asked hesitantly. Though she doubted his answer would be 'yes', she still thought it was necessary to ask. What other reason would there be?

"Not really." he answered carelessly. "Noting that filming starts at 11 today."

Kagome gave a defeated laugh at his sarcasm. She didn't feel like giving a sarcastic remark in return. All she wanted to do was take a shower and leave...

...Without having Inuyasha ask where she was going.

"Well, you know how I am." she stalled. "Neat-freak." she directed her thumbs towards herself in a pointing manner.

"Don't you mean 'hygiene-supporter'?" Inuyasha corrected with a small grin. Kagome slightly blushed at his remark.

The two stood in the bathroom exchanging glances. This continued on for several minutes and would've been extended if not for Inuyasha's irritated sigh.

"Well?" he spat.

"Well what?" Kagome asked, a bit nerved with his tone. "You were the one that walked in on me."

"Are you going to get out or what?"

"I don't see a reason why I should get out when you have no reason as to being in here."

"I do have a reason!"

"You just said you weren't going to take a shower!"

"Kagome," Inuyasha bit down as he took a step further into the bathroom. Kagome held her ground as she stood up bravely. She titled her head slightly to look up at Inuyasha.

Then, she felt her heart beating once again. As Inuyasha stepped closer near her into the bathroom, she thought back to the shooting from yesterday.

The thought brought a small smile to her face that would've been wider if they were not in the process of an argument at the moment.

She remembered how wonderful the kiss had been. It was just as fulfilling as every fan-girl would've dreamt it to be. If possible, it was better. Though it was but a simple lip combination, Kagome couldn't help but feel slightly pleased with the outcome.

Even if the lips in exchange belonged to Inuyasha.

Though, she couldn't talk about it with him or anyone for that matter. That would be far too inappropriate and unprofessional. This was business. Everything was business. Their marriage. Their careers.

Even the kiss.

Her mind snapped back to reality and she looked up at Inuyasha with determined eyes. Did he suspect something?

"W-what?" Kagome said defensively as she tried to suppress a stutter. She gulped nervously as he inched closer.

"I need to urinate."

* * *

Dressed and refreshed, Kagome silently entered the living room. Grabbing her cell phone and keys, she looked around the room for her purse.

"Going somewhere?" Inuyasha's voice made her pause. She craned her neck over towards the couch and saw the back of his head facing the television. It turned on.

Okay, how could she not notice him for a second time this morning, Kagome did not know.

"Oh, you know. Just out." Kagome answered hesitantly. She continued to search for her purse.

"Where to?" Inuyasha continued, his eyes still fixed on the television. Kagome rolled her eyes. Why was he continuing to ask her questions when he wasn't even paying attention to her?

"Just out." Kagome shrugged. "What makes you so curious?"

"I'm not." Inuyasha answered carelessly as he flipped through the channels. "It would just be nice to know where you're trying to secretly go in the morning, that's all."

Kagome paused her search, and looked at the back of his head. Damn, he was good.

"But how?–"

"–I know the steps to a secret getaway." he said while turning around to face her. Kagome instantly thought back to the Kikyo incident. Her heart suddenly felt heavy with guilt. "So I'll ask again, where are you going?"

Kagome bit her lip as she fiddled with her keys. Inuyasha's gaze stayed upon her, serious and in waiting. She sighed and took a seat by the counter of the kitchen.

"If you _must_ know, I'm going to meet up with a friend for breakfast. There. Are you happy?" Kagome confessed.

"What about today's shooting?" he asked. Kagome gave in to another deep sigh. What was going on? Inuyasha was interrogating her as a father would to his daughter on her first date!

"I'll be back before then. Besides, the scenes we're filming are mostly your solos." she shrugged. "I won't be missing much."

"But you'll be back in time, right?" Inuyasha tried to confirm. Kagome nodded her head. "Good. I don't want to waste a minute of my time waiting for you to come back from some breakfast with Taijiya."

"I'm not going with Sango." Kagome denied, but gave herself a mental beating for doing so. She regretted that last comment and wanted to rush out of the door. If only she could find her damn purse!

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and stood up from the couch.

"Who's this 'friend' of yours then?" he asked sternly.

"Why does it matter, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked irritated. "I _do_ have other friends besides Sango."

"Name this one."

"It's none of your business!" Kagome shook her head with disbelief. What was it with him? _Now_ he cared for what she did?

Inuyasha's brows became knit and he smirked. Kagome folded her arms across her chest as she stood up from the chair by the counter. Her arms fell to her sides as Inuyasha held up her purse in the air.

"Mind if I make it my business?"

"You dirty meat-head!" Kagome exclaimed as she walked towards him to retrieve her purse. She reached for it, but only missed as he craned his arm higher as his hand clenched onto the purse. Kagome hopped and hopped for it, but all attempts were fatal.

"Who are you going with?" Inuyasha asked again. Kagome tried a few more attempts for her purse, but finally gave up with a sigh of vexation.

"Kouga! I'm meeting up with Kouga, okay? _Now_ may I have my purse?"

"Kouga!" Inuyasha repeated disgusted. "What are you meeting up with him for?"

"He asked me out for a breakfast date yesterday after shooting!"

"And you just willingly accepted? Without anyone's permission?"

"I didn't think I needed permission for eating breakfast!"

In truth, Kagome had accepted so willingly to the offer. However, it was only an act of impulse due to her prolonged daze after the day's shooting. Her mind had been so far up in the clouds that anything could've passed her permission.

"Well you're not going." Inuyasha stated boldly as he walked passed her and towards the bedroom. Kagome's mouth became agape as she stomped after him.

"And who do you think you are to determine that!" she hissed.

Turning around to face her, Inuyasha's face fumed.

"Your husband!" he exclaimed.

"F.Y.I., Inuyasha. We agreed to _act_ like a married couple without actually having to _be_ a married couple." Kagome stated boldly. Inuyasha's brows separated and his facial expression altered. His arm lowered and brought her bag to a reaching distance.

Snatching her purse, Kagome gave him one final glare before exiting the hotel room. She slammed the door and stomped off towards the elevators.

_The nerve of him! Who does he think he is? Telling me where I can and cannot go! It's insane!_ Kagome thought angrily to herself as she tapped her foot impatiently while waiting in the elevator.

* * *

It was 9:50 AM when Kagome had arrived at the diner to meet up with Kouga. She sighed to find him sitting there patiently already with food in front of him.

"Sorry, Kouga." Kagome sighed as she sat down and picked up a menu. "I would've been here earlier, but there were some difficulties as to getting here."

"Don't worry about it," Kouga said nonchalantly. "What matters is that you're here."

A relaxed smile appeared on Kagome's face. Kouga was always the romantic type.

"So what's up? How have you been?" Kagome asked as a waitress took down her order after serving her a cup of coffee.

"I've been good. Working on a new album that'll be coming out sometime next year." Kouga replied proudly. Kagome nodded her head in interest as she poured creme into her mug. "And yourself?"

"Oh, I've been doing great as well. You know, with the marriage and everything." Kagome sipped her coffee. Kouga just smirked.

"I heard about that." he chuckled. "Inuyasha, right?" Kagome nodded her head. "And how's that coming along?"

"Wonderful." Kagome lied. Kouga looked at her for a long time.

"Kagome," he began. "You're a beautiful person - a fantastic singer - a great actress–"

"Mind explaining where this conversation is going?" Kagome interrupted out of embarrassment.

"–but a terrible liar." Kouga finished. Kagome nearly choked on her coffee. "It's _not_ going wonderful, is it?"

As much as Kagome thought she'd agree, she found herself not wanting to. She wanted to say 'Of course not, this marriage is horrendous', but she just couldn't.

She'd be lying which, according to Kouga, she was terrible at.

"So what's this new album called?" Kagome ignored the question and changed the topic.

"It's self-titled: Kouga." he said proudly. "And this one's going to be top charted. I can feel it."

"You always say that." Kagome grinned as she sipped her coffee.

"And they always are." Kouga pointed out. Kagome shrugged, but nodded. "What happened to us, Kagome?"

Okay, talk about odd conversation.

"What do you mean?" her smile began to fade.

"You know, The Double-K. We were legendary. It was accustomed for us to break-up, make-up, break-up, make-up." Kouga explained. Kagome sighed as the waitress placed her plate in front of her.

"I suppose I was just tired breaking and making. One can handle such a pattern for so long." she replied while stabbing her scrambled eggs with a fork.

"Yeah, but... Inuyasha?" Kouga said with disbelief. His shoulders shook as he suppressed his laughter. "Surely you could've done better."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome said, feeling a bit angry.

"I mean, look at him." Kouga explained. "The guy has long hair, purple eyes, and can't act for shit. Have you even watched his movies?"

"First of all, _Kouga_," Kagome said sternly, spitting out his name as if it were poison. "_You_ have long hair and blue eyes. Blue, purple, it's all the same! And Inuyasha is an award-winning actor with techniques that could kill. And I have seen his movies, on the count that I've co-starred in them!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed at Kouga with a much different perspective. He didn't even _know_ Inuyasha! It was rude, disrespectful, and completely moronic to judge him so quickly. And what awful things to say.

"Okay, okay. Chill out." Kouga tried to calm her down. "I was only joking." Kagome tried to hold back rolling her eyes. Now _he_ was the terrible liar. "I apologize."

Kagome ignored him as she continued to stab her eggs.

"Do you love him?" Kouga asked. Kagome dropped her fork as it clanked loudly on her plate. She looked up at Kouga with eyes that didn't have the answer to his question. He sat back in his seat. "Ah, I see."

"See what?" Kagome asked curiously.

"So what did he do? Get you pregnant?"

"Excuse me!" Kagome exclaimed. After a long absence, the cliche question had found her once again.

"I mean, it's obvious that you don't love him. So what is it?"

"I do too l-love Inuyasha. He's my husband!" Kagome stated, almost hesitant to pronounce the 'L' word.

"Just because you're married doesn't mean you love 'em." Kouga replied carelessly.

"That's _exactly_ what marriage means!" Kagome exclaimed. Maybe Inuyasha was right about not coming here.

There was a strong silence between the two. Suddenly, Kagome felt Kouga's hand caress hers. It took her a few seconds to react from the shock. She pulled her hand back and stared at him.

"Look, we got off on a wrong start for this breakfast. We've been talking for about what? An hour an a half?" Kouga glanced at his Rolex watch and nodded his head. "And I just want to be on a clean slate with you. So that's why I'm inviti–"

"And hour and a half!" Kagome exclaimed as she grabbed his wrist and looked at the time. It was 10:40 AM and shooting started at 11. She quickly began to gather her things.

"–I'm inviting you to a concert that I'll be opening up for tonight. You up for it?"

"Listen Kouga, I'm sorry I have to leave like this. I've got to shoot a scene in 20 minutes and if I'm late I'm going to be in major trouble." Kagome said quickly as she threw down 10 on the table for breakfast. She stood up from her chair and rushed towards the door.

"So around 8-ish?" he called out to her. Reaching the knob of the diner, Kagome turned around and nodded in agreement. "I'll send someone to pick you up."

And in a flash, Kagome was out of the door and waving frantically for a cab to pick her up. Her mind raced with hopes of appearing on set at time.

* * *

11:35 AM

"Where is that wench!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he walked along the set. "She's half an hour late and with who! With Kouga. I bet they're pulling off a '_Double-K'._" he hissed the nickname with disgust.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation with yourself, but mind I ask why it bothers you so?" Miroku asked as he approached the irritated actor. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

"She's with Kouga." he said deeply.

"Ex-boyfriend, hip-hop sensation Kouga?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and nodded. "Ah, and we're feeling a tad bit jealous, are we not?"

"Jealous! Why would I be _jealous_ of _him_!" Inuyasha yelled. "He hasn't gotten anything I'm envious of."

"You mean, besides Kagome?"

"You're really pushing it, Houshi." Inuyasha grit his teeth. "And he doesn't have her. I do."

"You do?"

"No. I mean, yeah. I don't know! Keh!" Inuyasha scratched his head with aggravation.

"He isn't the one married to her, after all." Miroku intentionally thought to himself outloud.

"Exactly! So I have her!"

"Then again, he is also the one with her company as of now."

"So he has her?"

"I don't know. Would you mind if he did?"

"Why should I? Good riddance to him for taking care of that wench."

"Which is a job that you could not fulfill, correct?"

"Listen, Houshi. I can take care of Kagome with both hands tied behind my back."

"Would you be willing to?"

"Of course I would! She's my damn wife!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he stomped off towards his dressing room. A large slam of the door echoed throughout the set. Miroku scratched the back of his head as he sighed.

"You think he means it?" Sango approached from behind Miroku. His insides jumped at the whisper of her voice.

"If you saw what I saw, then I suppose we should have the same judgement." he replied. A small smile crept on Sango's lips as she nodded.

"You've got a way with prying open his mind, Houshi. Reverse psychology, I must admit, is one of your strong points." she giggled to herself. The corners of Miroku's lips began to rise at the lovely sound.

"Like I said, dear Sango. I am capable of doing many things – I just choose not to do them." he grinned at her. Sango felt her cheeks go pink. The pen on her clipboard slid off of it s clip.

"A bit of a show-off, aren't you?" Sango teased.

"Sometimes you have to show-off to impress those that are meaningful to you." he grinned. "Even if it makes you look like a complete idiot."

Sango looked away as she felt the burn of her cheeks deepen.

"Like, making your office terribly dirty or continuously teasing her despite the painful punishments." he continued.

Okay, this was turning out to be too much to bear. Sango had to do more than look away. His voice was getting so sultry that she felt her knees weakening.

Bending down to pick up her pen, Sango reached for it, but her hand was met by Miroku's. Placing the cup of his hand inside hers, he locked their hands together. His thumb caressed the top of her hand lovingly. She looked up at him only to find his face only inches away from hers.

"Or holding her hand in an attempted failure of retrieving her pen."

Sango's heart raced at his voice. Thoughts of pulling her hand away were long gone and all she saw was the dark violet eyes staring back at her. She was in a daze, and she didn't mind at all. She loved this feeling he always gave her.

Slowly, the two stood up with hands locked and the pen still on the floor. Sango kept her eyes deep in Miroku's. She felt her cheeks burn, but she didn't care. The pink on her cheeks gave Miroku butterflies.

Seconds later, the sound of the metal doors of the set slammed opened. A rush of high-heeled shoes were heard coming toward them. Suddenly, a tired and out-of-breath Kagome knelt before Sango and Miroku.

"Sango, I'm...sorry...late...breakfast...morning..." Kagome panted. When she finally caught her breath, she slowly stood up straight and took a glance at Miroku and Sango. She paused at the sight of Sango's blushing face and her hand locked into place with Miroku's. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"Yo wench!" Inuyasha's voice exclaimed as his footsteps were heard coming near. Sango let go of Miroku's hand as she quickly picked up her pen. "About time you got here!"

"I tried as best as I could!" Kagome yelled back.

"Thirty minutes late is your best!"

"I'm here, aren't I!"

"How about we start filming now?" Miroku suggested nervously. The married couple sent eye daggers at each other.

"Fine." they both said fiercely before stomping off separate ways.

Sango and Miroku sighed simultaneously and glanced back at each other. She smiled sheepishly as she inserted her pen back onto the clipboard.

"Shall we be off?" Miroku asked courteously as he held out his arm. Nodding her head, Sango wrapped her arm around his and the two walked back to filming grounds.

* * *

"I lost track of time. You didn't have to bite my head off, you know." Kagome huffed as the two sat in the back of a limo after shooting. Sango had gone in a cab back to her own hotel, leaving the two completely alone.

"Lost track of time with Kouga." Inuyasha muttered back.

"You don't even know him." Kagome replied.

"Met him once. Didn't like him."

"So? That was only one time."

"He seems arrogant and his lyrics aren't meaningful." Inuyasha explained. The two tried to keep their voices a decent volume.

"Some of his songs are pretty nice. Some are even romantic." Kagome defended.

"Which ones?" Inuyasha scoffed. "_Wolf Packizzle _or _Holla At the Moon_?"

Kagome looked away as she bit her lip. In truth, none of Kouga's songs were romantic or symbolical. They were just rhyming words to a good beat – but she wouldn't let Inuyasha know that.

However, she found it odd that she was defending Kouga from Inuyasha. In the morning it had been the complete opposite.

"So what did you guys do?" Inuyasha suddenly asked, with no sarcasm whatsoever.

"Just ate breakfast and talked, that's all." Kagome shrugged. "It wasn't exactly the most exciting breakfast."

"Did he do something?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, but Kagome didn't care to look. She kept her eyes outside of the window.

"No. He just kept on asking questions about the marriage."

"What's it to him?" Inuyasha shrugged. "None of his business what goes on between you and me."

Kagome paused at his last comment and looked away from the window. A grin appeared on her lips.

As the limo stopped in front of the hotel, Kagome and Inuyasha looked out of the window to find another limo waiting. As the door opened for them, Kagome was greeted by a tall man in a tuxedo.

"Kagome Higurashi?" he asked. She nodded her head blankly. "Good day, Ms. Higurashi. My name is Ginta and I was sent by Kouga in order to transport you to the concert."

"Oh? It's 8 already?" Kagome glanced at her wristwatch. "I had no idea he'd bring a limo here."

"But of course, Ms. Higurashi. Kouga says he'll give nothing but the best to his woman." Ginta replied. Inuyasha growled at him.

"You're going to meet up with him again?" Inuyasha asked beside Kagome. She turned to look at him and nodded. "Mind explaining when you were going to tell me this?"

"Well, I wasn't." Kagome admitted. "You would've gotten all jealous again and I wasn't looking forward to another World War with you."

"I wasn't jealous." Inuyasha muttered under his breath. "Exactly where is this concert being held, Ginta?"

"Again with the interrogations!" Kagome huffed as she turned her back towards the two men.

"That information is classified, Mr. Inuyasha." Ginta replied. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles as he grabbed the limo driver by the collar of his undershirt.

"I'll ask again," he said threateningly. "Where are you taking Kagome?"

"D-downtown." Ginta stuttered. "To the Sachi Auditorium."

Letting go of his collar, Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently made her turn around.

"Take care of yourself." he warned her. "There's filming tomorrow, so don't be back too late."

"He's only opening up for the show." Kagome explained. Inuyasha nodded his head.

"Then after he's done performing, I want you to come back here. Got that?" he confirmed. Kagome sighed, but nodded her head.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha. I promise not to get drunk and marry him too." Kagome joked. Her laughter ceased as Inuyasha's facial expression became hesitant.

_Whoa, he's really serious about this. _Kagome thought to herself.

"I'll be fine." Kagome gave him a reassuring smile. She turned as Ginta opened the limo door for her. Before stepping in, she gave Inuyasha one final glance. Quickly stepping out of the limo, she gave him one final hug.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He smelt the herbal shampoo of her hair as it brushed his face. His arms, once free and untangled, slowly wrapped around her waist in a returning hug.

He closed his eyes as he held the girl in his arms. Finally, she let go and stood to face him.

"I'll see you in a few hours." Waving goodbye, she got back into the limo and drove off. Inuyasha stood on the sidewalk as he watched the limo drive away into the night. Sighing to himself, he buried his hands in his pockets and entered the hotel room.

* * *

"Kouga, you were fantastic!" Kagome yelled over the thousands of rowdy voices as Kouga met up with her backstage. His face was drenched with sweat.

"What?" he yelled back, unable to hear her.

"I said you were fantastic!" she repeated. Kouga shook his head, signaling that he still didn't hear her. "I said–"

Placing his hand on her lower back, Kouga brought Kagome closer to him. Their bodies collided. Her cheek became attached to his sweaty, sticky face.

"I said you were fantastic." Kagome said in a more tamed voice. There was no need to yell now that her mouth was closer to his ear.

"Oh, thanks!" Kouga replied in her ear. "How 'bout we get some seats for the rest of the show?"

"I can't. I've got filming tomorrow and besides," Kagome said. "And besides, Inuyasha would kill me if I were late again."

"He doesn't own you, you know."

"I didn't say that he did. I just understand where he's coming from. It's costing thousands of dollars each minute we use up the filming spaces."

"Come on, I want you to meet with a couple of friends of mine. This won't take long." Kouga insisted. Kagome frowned.

"I really shouldn't, Kouga." she refused. "I need to get back to Inuyasha." He separated their bodies and held onto her wrist. Much to her objection, Kouga began to pull her along the giant and raging audience. Where he was taking her, she did not know.

"Kouga! I can't!" Kagome tried exclaiming. However, being caught in the crowd was much more louder than being backstage. She couldn't even hear herself. "Kouga!"

Kagome tried to pull away from his grasp, but all attempts were useless. Finally, she gave one final and hard tug, and her wrist belonged to her once again. However, she then found herself surrounded by a crowd of people she did not know.

_Oh great, Kagome. Look what you've gotten yourself into now._ Kagome thought to herself as several musty bodies collided with hers.

She was in the Mosh Pit.

* * *

1:15 AM

"Damnit, where could she be!" Inuyasha flipped through the channels of the television. "She said she'd be back."

"_Here I am, live at the Sachi Auditorium where hip-hop artist Kouga has just finished opening up for the show. A lovely performance, it was."_ a blonde woman with a microphone glued to her hand exclaimed to the camera.

Inuyasha looked behind her at the mass crowds of people jumping towards the stage.

"_And here I have Kouga with me right now." _the woman said. _"Kouga, how do you think that performance went?"_

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he saw a single Kouga with no Kagome. Where was she?

"_Well, I gave that performance my all and that's only a small piece of what's destined to come." _Kouga chuckled in front of the camera. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Blah-blah-blah, Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha yelled at the T.V.

"_It has come to our attention that you have brought a guest here with us. Former girlfriend and pop sensation, Kagome Higurashi has accompanied you this night, correct?"_

"_You've got that right. She's my date for the night and I wouldn't have had it any other way." _Kouga said proudly. Inuyasha placed a disgusted glare at the screen.

"_Does her husband, award-winning actor, Inuyasha know about this affair?"_

"_He does now."_ Kouga winked at the camera, causing Inuyasha to squeeze tightly on the remote.

"_And where is Ms. Higurashi?"_

"_Beats me. Lost in the music perhaps."_ Kouga replied as he posed for the camera. Inuyasha stood up from the couch.

"Lost in the music!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "That's not music, that's rhyming with style! Feh! What's going on with the world these days."

"_Are we to expect a Double-K show tonight?"_

"_You bet. Double-K never dies." _Kouga did a thumbs-up smile as he walked away.

"_There you have it, folks. The Double-K has returned. Now all that there is to question is: Where's Inuyasha?"_

Turning off the television, Inuyasha stood up and looked at the time.

1:25 AM

That was it. He had just about enough. Grabbing an orange sweatshirt, Inuyasha made his way outside of the hotel and called for a cab.

"Where to, Mr. Inuyasha?" the cab driver asked as he chewed on a piece of bubble-gum. Placing on a black cap, Inuyasha looked up at the driver sullenly.

"Sachi Auditorium."

* * *

Kagome screamed with aggravation as she stood up from the floor once again. The heel of her shoe had broken _again_ and now she was stuck being stomped on with broken shoes.

"These were my favorite shoes!" she exclaimed. Taking them off, she held onto them by the back heel and continued to walk barefoot. "Watch it!" she exclaimed as some stepped on her feet.

_Where is the exit around here? It's like a zoo!_ Kagome thought to herself angrily.

"Hey! It's Kagome Higurashi!" she heard a deep and unfamiliar voice say. Suddenly, a crowd of men circled around her with drunken faces.

"Surprising to find her around these parts of the city." a fat man mumbled.

"Mighty pretty, she is." the other admired. "Like an angel. Have I died yet?"

_Great, I'm in the middle of a drunk circle._ Kagome gave herself a mental beatdown.

One of the men extended their hands as to touching Kagome. She back away and pointed her shoes at them.

"Don't touch me, you drunk!" she exclaimed.

"Drunk?" the fat man laughed to himself. His chin juggled with sweat. "We aren't drunk. Just here to have some fun and listen to good music."

"Betcha' she thinks she's better than us 'cause she one of them celebrities." the other gloated.

"I never said that." Kagome cut in. "Just continue to listen to the music and I will be on my way."

"I don't think so, Ms. Higurashi. It ain't everyday we see someone like you in person. We've gotta make this night memorable." the fat one said schemingly as he leaped upon Kagome and kissed her neck.

"Get off of me!" Kagome exclaimed as she slapped the man across the face and ran away. She pushed through the crowd with one hand as the other wiped the remains of the kiss on her neck.

Even though she pushed the crowd away, that still didn't stop the several hands that groped every inch of her as she ran. Kagome felt disgusted while in the Mosh Pit. She hated the smell, the feeling, everything about it.

Her mind began to spin as she inhaled the smoke coming out of everyone's mouths. The smell of alcohol filled their breath. She ran and ran in search of clean air.

She nearly tripped at the dizziness she began to feel. Her mind was full of smoke and nothing could help her. She needed a way out now.

Suddenly, Kagome felt her body shut down. Her legs gave out and her body became numb. Unwillingly, her eyes closed and second later she felt her body slamming against the floor.

She had fainted and all anybody did was continue to dance to the music around her fallen body.

* * *

"Where is she?" Inuyasha pinned Kouga to the hallway wall.

"Away from you." Kouga spat. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he slammed Kouga onto the wall harder.

"I swear I'm going to murder you if she's harmed." he threatened. "Where is Kagome?"

"You think I know? She would've been right here with me had not she resisted following. And why did she resist?" Kouga smacked Inuyasha's hand to release his grasp. "Because _you_ were pressuring her to come back early. You're a tyrant."

"Don't make assumptions about my relationship with Kagome, you fool." Inuyasha said coldly.

"What relationship? Earth to the Idiot!" Kouga knocked on his head. "She feels nothing for you. _Nothing_. She's only looking out for the future baby."

"Baby!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Well, she must've needed a reason to marry someone like _you_." Kouga folded his arms across his chest. "You don't believe your relationship is based on love, do you?" he smirked.

Inuyasha grinded his teeth. He cracked his knuckles and stood up straight.

"You'd be surprised." he said before placing his hand in a fist and attaching it with Kouga's face.

* * *

"Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed through the crowds of people. Several bodies bumped into his. "Watch out, wenches!"

"Kagome!" he exclaimed again.

"Check it out, it's the husband." Inuyasha saw an obese man point.

"You've seen Kagome?" he yelled through the crowd. The fat man folded his arms across his chest.

"I've done more than see her." he said proudly. "I've kissed her too. Mighty fine kisser, that girl is."

Inuyasha eyes narrowed into slits.

"Sure is. And a great body she has. Like an angel." a man next to the fat one said dreamily. Inuyasha formed his hands into fists once again. It irritated him to hear these men exploit Kagome like she was some sort of prostitute.

"Tell me where she is you greasy toad." Inuyasha said boldly as he glared at the fat man. The obese man just snickered.

"Gonna have to pay me to talk." he smirked. Within a flash, Inuyasha grabbed the collar of his greasy shirt and gave him a deadly look.

"Listen, you pompous–" Inuyasha began, but was cut off as a crowd of people chanted the word 'Higurashi!' He turned his head to the sound and dropped the fat man from his hands to see Kagome's body being held up in the air.

She was caught in a crowd surf.

Rushing towards her body, Inuyasha pushed pass people. He kept his eyes on Kagome and saw that her eyes were closed and that she wasn't moving. This made him rush even faster.

"Get her down!" he ordered, only to be ignored. "Get her down you bastards!"

Faster and faster, the hands passed down Kagome in the crowd. Inuyasha continued to rush towards her body helplessly.

"KAGOME!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, a member on stage jumped into the crowd and Kagome's body sunk back onto the floor. Rushing to it, Inuyasha finally caught up as he pushed a few more people.

He knelt beside her with eyes full of worry.

"Damnit, Kagome. What the hell happened to you?" he said painfully. He lifted her face slowly and lightly patted her cheek. "Kagome, wake up. Wake up. Just show me that you're okay." he pleaded.

Kagome still did not move.

"Kagome, please. Just open up those pretty eyes of yours and give me a sign. A whimper. Anything." he continued. Still, Kagome did not move.

Picking up her body bridal style, Inuyasha made his way around the crowd once again. When she still would not awaken, he placed his ear to her chest.

Her heart was still beating.

Inuyasha's breath calmed as he listened to the beat of his heart. Never had he been so relieved. She was alive, and that's all that had mattered to him.

He brought her closer to him as he continued to carry her bridal style. Her heart continued to beat, and so did his. Her chest pounded next to his.

And their hearts continued to beat on together.

* * *

Placing her onto the bed, Inuyasha gently wiped her bangs from her face as he sat next to her. He looked at the resting Kagome and sighed to himself. This girl was so much trouble than he had thought.

And yet, she came with a few advantages as well.

She sure was always the sunlight in the room. She constantly smiled despite the aura in the room and Inuyasha liked that about her. She made him happy.

Pulling the covers over her, Inuyasha began to get up in order to sleep on the floor. However, he felt a small tug on the sleeve of his sweater. Turning around, he looked and saw Kagome's delicate hand weakly clinging onto him.

"I'm sorry for being late." she whispered, her eyes barely open. "I...tried..."

"It's not your fault, Kagome. Don't worry about it." Inuyasha whispered back. He turned to get back on the floor, but her hand still clutched onto his sweater.

"Don't leave Inuyasha." she said weakly, her eyes barely open. "Please stay with me. Only for one night."

He smiled slightly.

"I'll only be on the floor. You can still call me if you need anything." he whispered softly, her hand still clung onto his sleeve.

"Please Inuyasha?" she continued to plead. He sighed, but nodded his head. She gave him a weak smile.

Taking off his sweatshirt, he placed it on the floor and laid down next to her on the bed. She scooted over and lent him some blanket. He whispered a quick 'thanks'.

"Thank you Inuyasha." Kagome said in a whisper as she began to fall asleep. "You saved me today."

Inuyasha began to close his eyes.

"...and I'm really glad you're here with me." Kagome whispered as she rested her arm across his chest. Her head laid gently on his shoulder. Though it was barely audible, Inuyasha still heard it. He opened his eyes and looked at the sleeping Kagome.

He was dazed by her innocence, but even more dazed by her words. He rested his head on top of hers as she slept. His hand caressed hers softly.

Inuyasha's eyes darted to their weddings rings on their fingers. Thoughts of Kikyo ran passed his mind. He blinked hard to erase the memories.

Looking back down at Kagome, Inuyasha sighed. For the first time since his previous broken engagement, he felt his heart lift and his insides turn.

And Inuyasha found himself being glad that Kagome was here with him as well.


	21. Kick It Up A Notch

**A/N:** Wow! Thaaaaannnnkkss to everybody for the countless reviews! I'm so happy that everyone liked the last chapter. However, I apologize to Kouga fans out there. Hehehe...

Hmm, I'm really hoping that this fic will be under 30 chapters. Eek! After reading this story over again, I should've combined the first 3-4 chapters. Bleh. :crosses fingers for a 30-chaptered fic:

* * *

**_Chapter 21 - _**Kick It UpA Notch 

"_Inuyasha..." he heard the voice whisper. He closed his eyes shut, hoping the voice would go away. _

"_Inuyasha.." it continued. Figures. Ignoring it never worked._

_Lifting up his head, Inuyasha's eyes shifted around the room. His eyes stopped at a distant figure that slowly walked toward him._

"_What will become of us?" She whispered. Inuyasha scratched his head._

"_Kikyo?" he asked. However, the figure continued to slowly walk forward. Her long black hair was shown flowing beside her. The elegant cloth of her clothes were blown softly to the side._

"_What will become of us, Inuyasha?" she repeated. "You cannot blame me for the past."_

_Inuyasha just smirked sadly to himself. "Can't blame you, eh? You were the one that left me, Kikyo."_

"_...cannot blame me for the past." the figure whispered once again._

"_Damnit, you were the one that left me!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he stood up. He felt faint tears slip through the cracks of his eyes. "I gave nothing but the best to you!"_

_The figure continued to walk towards Inuyasha. He fell to his knees as he covered his face with clawed hands._

"_I gave nothing but the best to you." he murmured from behind his palms. Suddenly, he felt the light fabric of her clothing brush against his hands. Inuyasha removed his palms from his face and looked up at the figure._

_His eyes widened to see Kagome standing above him. She smiled down at him, but her eyes gazed down sadly._

"_K-Kagome?" Inuyasha stuttered. Kagome nodded her head with a grin. She bent her knees to face him on the ground._

"_Inuyasha, why are you crying?" she asked gently as she brought her soft hand to his face. She brushed off a tear and caressed his cheek lovingly. _

_Inuyasha felt a warmth upon his cheeks. He continued to stare at the girl in front of him._

"_B-but...Kikyo was here..." Inuyasha stammered. Kagome shook her head._

"_It was me, Inuyasha." she answered simply. "I was here all along."_

"_It was you?" he asked. Kagome nodded her head. "But why?"_

"_Don't blame me for the past, Inuyasha." she repeated the statement. Somehow, when he heard it from Kagome, the words seemed to have a whole different meaning. He felt his dog ears twitch at her voice._

"_When she left me, a part of myself left as well." he looked down at his knees. Kagome lifted his chin to face her._

"_Inuyasha," Kagome giggled slightly. "A piece of a person may be broken, but no one can take a part of someone away."_

_Inuyasha looked at Kagome with sad eyes._

"_It's time for you to heal." she whispered in his dog ears. His heart jumped as the sultry voice echoed in his mind._

"_But I'm alone. I was left alone." Inuyasha shook her hands away from his face._

"_Have you already forgotten, Inuyasha?" she looked at him serenely. "I was here all along."_

_There was silence between the two. Inuyasha looked up at Kagome with compassionate eyes. For so long he felt like a solitary man with no where to go. His heart had been ripped and stolen._

_And yet, here was a woman that he had least likely thought he would find in his dreams. She was bringing him back to reality. She was healing his soul. She was mending his heart._

_She was with him all along._

"_So what will become of us?" Inuyasha asked her as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Kagome smiled at him her prized smile. He felt his insides turn and his breath lost._

"_That's my question." she replied innocently as she moved forward and brought her lips to his. Inuyasha felt her kiss and his heart began to race. Though it was a simple and brief brush of their lips, he still felt the melting of his insides._

_Getting up slowly, Inuyasha's eyes followed her as he sat on his knees. Holding out her hand, Kagome's brown eyes locked into his golden amber orbs. His eyes shifted from her hand to her face._

"_You cannot fear outcomes without giving moments their chances." she said judiciously, her hand still out in the open. Inuyasha sniffed as he nodded his head. "So what will become of us?"_

_Placing his hand into hers, Inuyasha stood up and looked at her intently. Her brown eyes locked into his with severe hope and faith. Before he even realized his actions, Inuyasha found himself wrapping his arms around her in a tight, loving embrace. His face and tears buried into her raven black hair._

"_A chance to live a moment."_

---

Inuyasha shifted his face on the pillow as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked straight at the sleeping face of Kagome. A small smile crept upon his lips as he watched her.

_She's...beautiful._ He thought to himself, unknowing of his own thoughts. _A chance to live a moment..._

Fluttering her eyes open, Kagome woke up to find Inuyasha staring at her intently. She felt the burning of her cheeks rise as he continued to gaze upon her.

"Good morning, Inuyasha." she greeted uneasily. His eyes widened, as if noticing only now that she was awake.

Kagome gave a small smile as she hesitantly brought her hand to his face to push back a strand of his hair. "You're a demon again." she informed.

"No kidding?" Inuyasha finally responded as he held up his hand. He and Kagome observed the claws. Inuyasha waited for Kagome to become frightened at his hands. He waited for the fear in her eyes to arise. He waited for her to back away from him, with thoughts of a surprise attack. He waited for her to walk away, with sincere disbelief of his demonic state.

But she just smiled as if it were a human hand before her.

Kagome brought her hand and held his in the air, bringing it down in between them. She fiddled with his claws innocently. "Sorry for being a burden." she finally said. Inuyasha's dog ears twitched at her sudden apology. "And not just because of last night's encounter with Kouga."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but Kagome cut him off.

"And before you even ask, nothing happened." she finished, knowing of what he was going to say. Inuyasha stared up at the ceiling with guilt. Kagome smiled faintly as she continued. "I'm sorry for putting you in the marriage situation – resulting in taking you away from being 'the life of the party'. And I apologize for, well, judging you so quickly."

Inuyasha was silent.

"I mean, throughout the two movies we've been in together, it's only in the making of the third one that I really got to get to know you." Kagome continued, nervously picking at Inuyasha's claws. "And I almost regret the time I wasted in the two movies."

Inuyasha's silence made her even more nervous. She directed her eyes away from him, staring at nothing but their hands on top of the bed.

"You're not so bad after all." she found herself muttering. "You're funny and, though a bit arrogant, mildly kind. And you're caring..." Kagome stopped herself at once when she realized her rambling. Her cheeks began to grow hotter as they turned red. "And now I'm talking too much. Sorry." she finished nervously, stopping her fiddling with Inuyasha's claws and bringing her hand under her head.

His silence made her feel idiotic. Kagome couldn't find it in her to bring her eyes to face him.

"Well, you're right about one thing." Inuyasha finally said. "You do talk too much." he said teasingly. Kagome shifted her eyes to face him and gave a small smile.

"But you don't have to be sorry." he added. "Because if you didn't talk, I'd probably kill myself mentally from all of the silence that goes around in this hotel."

Kagome chuckled slightly. "Miroku's never silent."

"True, but I'd also mentally kill myself if I had to listen to all his talks about women for the rest of my life." Inuyasha smiled, Kagome looked at the fangs on the side of his grin.

"You're not so bad either." Inuyasha stated nonchalantly. "I haven't found anything _seriously_ wrong with you yet. You do have 10 ten toes, right? 5 on each foot?"

Kagome eyed him oddly as she nodded slowly. Inuyasha gave her a mischievous grin as he brought his hand to her ankle. Kagome's eyes widened at the sudden grasp on her leg. She tried to shake his hand away, but he continued attempts to grab her ankle.

"Inuyasha!" she yelled out, laughing at his attempts to prove she had 10 toes. "Stop it!" she laughed. "I have ten toes! I have ten toes!"

"I'm not so sure anymore." Inuyasha replied teasingly. "Noting that you're so fickle on proving it."

He continued to try to grab her leg, and Kagome continued to laugh. Inuyasha sat up and held onto Kagome's wrists.

"Inuyasha," she smiled broadly. "I have ten toes. Trust me, I've counted. Five on the left and five on the right. I'm human." Kagome laughed.

"I wouldn't know these things about humans. I'm only half." Inuyasha joked. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"So who exactly is the one we should be checking for 5 toes on each foot?" she asked teasingly.

"Kagome?" Sango's head suddenly popped into the bedroom door. "Oh dear God!" she exclaimed as she closed her eyes shut.

"Sango!" Kagome exclaimed. She observed her and Inuyasha's positions and rolled to the side of the bed. "No, no! It's not what you think!"

"I apologize, Kagome. Miroku had a key and you weren't answering your phone so–" Sango stammered as she kept her eyes closed and held the door open slightly. Suddenly, it widened as Miroku pushed it open.

"Any indecencies?" Miroku piped in with a perverted grin on his face. He held the door knob of the bedroom as he paused at the sight. Sango sheepishly opened her eyes. "Inuyasha?.."

"Gah! Don't go on thinking things, Miroku!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he shook his head feverishly.

"I expected catching Kagome in a towel or something, but this is much better." Miroku thought aloud to himself. A vein popped on Sango's forehead as her hand wrapped into a fist.

_**BONK!**_

"I've missed doing that." Sango said triumphantly as a swirly eyed Miroku stood next to her. "Pervert." she added with a hiss.

"Give me a chance to explain!" Kagome pleaded towards Sango.

"It's okay, Kagome. Sorry to have walked in on both of your – err, personal affairs." Sango said nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"OUR WHAT!" both Inuyasha and Kagome exclaimed.

"What she means is: sorry to have walked in on you two getting _biz-zay_." Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku's personalized version of the word 'busy'. All three of them sweat-dropped as they watched Miroku dance the cabbage-patch.

"Shut-up, Miroku!" Inuyasha growled as he threw a pillow towards Miroku's face. Dodging it, the director stuck out his tongue at the pissed-off actor.

Rolling her eyes, Sango smacked the back of his head painfully.

"Hey! Was that necessary?" Miroku whined as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You have no idea." Sango hissed.

"We weren't doing anything though, honest." Kagome pleaded for her point. Sango sighed as she looked at the married couple. "Besides, what good of a reason would there be to sleep in a bed with Inuyasha?"

"Intimacy?" Sango asked as she shrugged her shoulder to the obvious. Kagome began to laugh severely. Inuyasha looked at her dully.

"It's not _that_ funny." he muttered under his breath as he folded his arms across his chest. "_You_ were the one that practically begged me to sleep next to you in the first place."

Kagome's laughter ceased at his last comment. Sango looked at Kagome with an arched brow while Miroku watched both of them with pure interest.

"Now _this_ is a good morning." he muttered to himself as his shoulders shook from hidden laughter. Sango elbowed him in the stomach.

"Hey! I was tired!" Kagome fought back as Inuyasha sat with a smug smile.

"Feh. I'm _sure_ you were." he said sarcastically. A vein popped on Kagome's forehead. "I bet that's what you've been planning all along – to get into bed with me."

"Oh don't hold your breath!" Kagome exclaimed. "As if you're worth a plan of seduction!"

Miroku and Sango watched from the doorframe as the two continued to throw insults.

"You think they'll ever learn?" Sango asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm hoping not. Their arguments are entertaining." Miroku grinned jokingly. Sango gave him a death glare. He chuckled and smiled. "However, in their own demented ways, yes I suppose they will." Miroku shrugged.

The arguing continued to last for several minutes until Sango cleared her throat in an obvious manner for attention. The two paused in their arguments and turned to look at the manager and director.

"Finished?" Sango asked simply as she held up her clipboard and flipped through papers. Kagome and Inuyasha shot each other eye daggers.

"Not quite." Kagome said tightly as she threatened to hit Inuyasha in the head with the back of her hand.

"Please make haste, Lady Kagome. Sango and I have a few updates to go over with you and Inuyasha." Miroku said serenely as he turned his back towards the room.

"Meat-headed-obnoxious-jerk." Kagome muttered towards Inuyasha as she hopped off of the bed. He shot her a glare as he followed suit.

"So what're you two here for?" Inuyasha asked in an irritated tone as he stretched his arms. "Besides trying to catch Kagome half-naked." he directed a glare towards Miroku, who laughed sheepishly as Sango shot him eye daggers.

"Well," Sango began as she organized several papers on top of the glass coffee table. "We have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"The good." Inuyasha shrugged. However, at the same time it was said, Kagome had suggested they discuss 'The Bad' first. The two looked at each other with aggravation.

"Perhaps we should begin with the bad, Sango." Miroku cut in. Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest as Kagome stuck out her tongue at him.

Sighing, Sango straightened her glasses and turned to dig into her briefcase. "Kagome's publicists have been calling my phone non-stop is hopes of receiving an interview."

"They want more?" Inuyasha interrupted. He smirked. "You'd think they would've gotten over the marriage by now." he muttered. Sango pulled out a newspaper and a magazine from her briefcase and laid both of them on her lap.

"It's not about the marriage." Sango stated boldly. Kagome gave her an enquiring look. "It's about the Double-K." she finished while taking the newspaper and magazine from her lap and tossing it in front of the married couple.

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked at both of the front covers. There were photos of her breakfast date with Kouga along with the concert. The magazine had a headline titled: _Unsteady Marriage?_ And the newspaper's headline read: _Kagome Cheats Husband._

Inuyasha's eye twitched as he picked up the magazine and flipped through it's pages. There were several photos of Kouga and Kagome showing signs of affections. There were even some pictures from their old photo shoots as a couple.

"You said nothing happened.." Inuyasha said as he held up a picture in the magazine. It was of her and Kouga close together with his hand on her lower back. Miroku looked at the actor, realizing the minor hurt in his question.

Kagome shook her head with disbelief as she looked through the newspaper. Paparazzi had taken photos from their whole date together. She had no idea they were around. How could she have missed them?

"Is _this_ what you consider 'nothing happening'?" Inuyasha asked more forcefully as he shoved the magazine closer to her face. Kagome looked up at the picture and her eyes widened.

"A-at the concert," Kagome stammered as she was still regaining from the shock. "That was taken at the concert."

"Oh really? I hadn't known that." Inuyasha said in a voice dipped with sarcasm as he took back the magazine and read its caption. "After his performance, Kouga was spotted with, what was assumed to be ex-girlfriend, Kagome Higurashi in an embrace at the Sachi Auditorium."

"I was trying to compliment him on his performance. The music was too loud!" Kagome defended as she scanned the pictures in the newspaper. Inuyasha just smirked with such disbelief.

"Here's another one," he continued reading another picture's caption. "The Double-K was spotted in the morning dining at a restaurant together. It is shown here as Kouga caresses the top of Kagome's hand in a sign of affection."

"I pulled my hand away!" Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he tossed the magazine onto the glass table. He turned towards the kitchen as he rubbed his clawed hands to his face. Miroku followed him while patting his back as a sign of consolation. "Sango! This is ridiculous. These people have it all wrong. I had no romantic events with Kouga whatsoever yesterday. Even if he thinks so, I felt nothing. Even when he insulted Inuyasha–"

"That bastard _insulted_ me?" Inuyasha called from the kitchen angrily. "He deserved much more than a punch in the face."

"You did what!" Kagome exclaimed. A vein popped on Sango's forehead as she stood up.

"Enough!" she yelled, causing everyone in the room to halt and turn their attention to her. Her face fumed with irritation. "I've delayed most press conferences and have only scheduled one for today and a short one tomorrow after filming. However, filming today has been canceled due to several magazine photo shoots."

"Canceled?" Miroku shot in, a bit disappointed. Sango gave an exasperated sigh as she nodded her head. Frowning, Miroku nodded in agreement and continued on.

"So what do I tell the press?" Kagome asked as she lightly placed the newspaper on top of the magazine.

"I really don't know." Sango groaned as she sat down on the couch and massaged her temples. "I don't know much of anything right now."

Kagome pouted as she walked over and sat next to Sango. She placed a hand on her back and pat it comfortingly.

"Inuyasha and I will figure out what to say." Kagome said gently. "Don't you worry, Sango."

"I've messed things up badly, Kagome. My duty as your manager has become anything but successful." Sango took her glasses off and placed them on top of her head. She cupped her hands into her face. "This is so unprofessional." she murmured behind her hands. Kagome gave a small smile. Even in the depths of distress, Sango _still_ put her profession over everything.

"Would you quit crying, Taijiya?" Inuyasha snapped. "Like Kagome said, we'll figure out what to say. Gain some backbone!"

"I'm not crying." Sango looked away from everyone. "I don't know what to tell everyone. How am I supposed to answer their questions?" she asked herself. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he stomped off to face her.

"That's for us to figure out and for you to not give a shit about." he said roughly. "Our relationship is none of your business anyways. They shouldn't count on you to know what goes on in our relationship."

Kagome turned towards Inuyasha and tried to hide a smile. Even though she knew he'd never admit to it, Inuyasha was actually trying his best to cheer Sango up.

"What time is today's interview?" Kagome asked calmly. Sango wistfully looked at her watch.

"Later on in the after noon. I scheduled last minute photo shoots throughout the whole morning." Sango replied. Inuyasha and Kagome nodded their heads in understanding. "You and Inuyasha are going to have to go more public with your relationship. We can't let mistakes like this happen again."

"Go more public?" Inuyasha questioned. "Like more interviews?"

"I believe Lady Sango is referring to being seen by the public eye together. As in shopping, dining, playing, overall just being together. We need to feed the paparazzi with proof that you two are in love and a happy married couple." Miroku said sagely. Sango nodded her head sharply and smiled.

"So basically I have to walk around the streets hugging and holding Higurashi?" Inuyasha tried to confirm. Kagome's eyes shifted to him. He was staring intently at Sango and Miroku with his eyebrows knit together. She couldn't help but release a small smile. Inuyasha was determined to follow through with the plan.

"Well, since we're hanging on a limb here, you two might have to make more drastic actions. As in, the whole nine yards. Kissing, hugging, holding; things that couples do." Miroku replied. Kagome paused after hearing the word 'kissing'.

She again looked over at Inuyasha, who's expression hadn't altered. His face looked serious and understanding to Miroku's instructions.

"Public affection? Got it." Inuyasha confirmed. "Did you catch that, Higurashi?" Kagome nodded her head.

"Okay, so I'm going to go back to my hotel and organize all these upcoming events." Sango finally said as she stood up. "Your first photo shoot is in about 2 hours. I'll send for a limo to pick you two up." she turned and began to walk to the door.

"Wait, Sango?" Kagome called out. "If Inuyasha and I have finished getting ready for the photo shoot before 2 hours pass, would that be a good time to feed the paparazzi?"

"Most definitely. You two will need to exploit yourselves as much as possible. Take any chances you guys can get." Sango nodded her head as she exited through the door. Miroku followed behind her and waved a quick goodbye.

"So, are you ready to be fed to the sharks?" Kagome asked jokingly as she turned over to Inuyasha. His silver bangs covered his eyes. A smirk appeared on his lips.

"If those bastards want something to place in the media, they'd better be ready for it." Inuyasha replied. "They have no idea what's coming to them."

And with that, Inuyasha swiftly walked passed Kagome and towards the bathroom. Kagome stood still in thought about Inuyasha's words. Suddenly, a small smile crept on the sides of her lips. If Inuyasha was willing to kick the affection up a notch, surely she could!

After all, this was for publicity, right? _Just_ publicity...

* * *

**_Author's Note_**: I wasn't sure if now was a right time to post this chapter, but I felt really bad for all of the reviewers that continued to ask for another chapter. I'm sorry if this acted more like a cliffhanger rather than furthering the fanfiction's story.

A thousand sorries to everyone for the late late late late update. I haven't been updating this story lately because I just lost allmotivation for it. After reading some of the chapters I wrote in the beginning, I really had the urge to erase thisfic all together. However, everyone's reviews have been completely inspiring and supportive. Again, I am sorry for taking so long to update.

Agggghhh! There were so many plot holes that I created when I began writing this fic and I can't believe I've forgotten a majority of them. Idiotidiotidiotidiot...but ALAS! I will either:

A) Remember them  
B) Uhhh... cry and then wing everything.

Blah, but enough blabbering. Sorry for the late update AND I hope this chapter pleasing...


	22. Years of Experience

**_Chapter 22 - _**Years of Experience

-

-

Inuyasha glared at his reflection in the mirror. Boy, did he feel like an idiot.

After Sango left, he remembered that he was in his demon state. Kagome immediately called Miroku for assistance, but the director just laughed and left them to figure out the solution. Inuyasha made a mental note to drop kick his ass for the "help".

Thanks, _bud_.

He sighed with exasperation. Would the paparazzi really believe that this _new look_ was for the upcoming movie? Inuyasha looked at his claws and fangs. Would he be able to play it off?

Wait a second– of course he would be able to. He was _Inuyasha_ after all. He could bullshit almost every worker in the media. Reporters? Bullshit. Columnists? Bullshit. Radio shows? Bullshit!

He wasn't feeling embarrassed about being incognito. He didn't care that he'd have to parade around the city with Kagome. He wasn't ashamed that today he'd have to play the part of a "worthy husband." No, no, _those_ didn't upset him as much.

It was his hat.

--

"How much time do we have?" an exasperated Inuyasha asked as he closed the bedroom door and tipped the rim of his cap. Kagome glanced at her wristwatch as she slipped on one of her shoes. Flipping her hair from her face, she stood up and straightened her skirt.

"We have about an–" she fought back the dangerous urge to laugh, but an unladylike snort emerged from her throat. "Hour left." she finished, bringing a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Inuyasha lowered his cap to hide his face. Kagome cleared her throat and gave a small quivering smile. She could tell he was in the crawl-under-a-rock mood. His stiff shoulders indicated his desperate grip for masculinity.

Kagome still couldn't get over him having a _Band of Seven_ cap. She opened with the boy band at the beginning of her career. They were decent singers, she understood. Decent dancing, she understood. But _Inuyasha_ having a piece of their merchandise? _That_ was something out of the ordinary; considering he didn't like _her_ music. A boy band just seemed Anti-Inuyasha.

"It's nice, really." she tried to console. "At least they won't be able to see your dog ears." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he handed Kagome her purse. "Besides, it's a rather nice hat."

Ignoring her, Inuyasha made his way out of the hotel room and walked down the hallway. Scoffing, she locked the door behind him and followed him to the elevator.

"I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of, Inuyasha." Kagome said as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "It expresses your expansion of..." she paused to think of the correct word. "...interests."

Inuyasha clicked his tongue at this. Their elevator arrived seconds later. As the two walked in, Kagome bit her lip with hesitation.

"Besides, I think the color looks really nice on you." she added. "I mean, who ever thought that someone could make a simple black cap look elaborate is beyond me."

They stood in silence. She threw glances in his direction, waiting for a response.

Silence.

Kagome sighed inwardly and looked at the reflection on the elevator walls. Her eyes shifted to Inuyasha's. She blinked several times to make sure she wasn't being fooled.

Was Inuyasha _blushing_?

The 'ding!' of the elevator signaled that they had reached the lobby. Taking in a deep breath, Kagome waited as the doors slid open. Just as they had enough room to exit, she hooked her arm around Inuyasha's and held tightly.

He looked down at her with surprise. Kagome's cheeks flushed, but she smiled at him.

"Ready to go, Mr. Kagome?" she winked. Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, too perplexed to react quickly. The warm embrace of her arm with his brought tingles down to his spine. Regaining himself, he smirked.

"You bet," he said as they walked out of the elevator. The two watched as paparazzi stood on the other side of the sidewalk. Craning his neck down to speak, Inuyasha added in Kagome's ear. "...Mrs. Inuyasha."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Walking down the sidewalk, Kagome's grip tightened on Inuyasha's arm as the number of paparazzi grew. If she thought the amount of photographers that approached her alone was crazy, the attention grabbed by the couple was outrageous.

_What do you have to say about Kouga, Inuyasha? _One of them said. Kagome bit her lip, afraid of his response.

But he continued to walk forward, unnerved by the question.

_Kagome, has the media unveiled a secret love affair between you and Kouga? _Another asked, pointing the camera to Kagome. She squeezed Inuyasha's arm tightly, not knowing how to respond.

He placed a hand on top of hers. Kagome looked up at him and was given a warm smile. She sighed to herself and calmed her tense grip on his arm.

_Why would you cheat on your husband? _They asked, but Kagome was unnerved. Following Inuyasha's lead, she continued to walk forward. His warm palm heated the top of her hand soothingly.

When it happened, she didn't know. But within a moment, Kagome found herself laying her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. The smell of his cologne floated through her nostrils and tickled her thoughts. The fabric of his jacket felt smooth against her rosy cheek.

She couldn't hear the rest of their questions. The sound of their cameras, footsteps, and voices became muffled. Her thoughts remained on the owner of the arm intertwined with hers.

Kagome couldn't help this feeling. She couldn't fight off this strange, enlightening and bizarre emotion that was fluid through her entire body.

_Can we look forward to seeing a little baby any time soon?_

Okay, that was it. Did he just ask _that_ question?

Kagome snapped out of her daze and quickly lifted her head from Inuyasha's shoulder. She glared at the culprit of the question dangerously. He clicked his camera menacingly.

Slowing down her pace, Kagome halted Inuyasha. He looked down at her and met her irritated glare. She began to loosen her grip on his arm, ready to give that paparazzi a piece of her mind!

Kagome grit her teeth, preparing for an outburst on how a baby is not on the 'To Do' list. Letting go of Inuyasha's arm, Kagome took a step forward and opened her mouth.

"Hey–" she started, but was cut off as Inuyasha abruptly coiled his arm around her waist and pulled her body onto his. His face nuzzled on the corner of her neck. Kagome felt shock throughout her entire body at the sudden move. She placed her hand on his chest to secure appropriate space.

The feeling of Inuyasha's warm breath on her neck made her knees go weak. Her palms became moist by the feeling of his muscles from underneath his shirt. Kagome's face grew pink as her breathing quickened .

Inuyasha gently lifted his head from her neck and placed his cheek on top of hers. The warmth of their touching skin fastened the beating of Kagome's chest. Her mind was racing with questions, outbursts, lectures, and – surprisingly – cheers.

_What are you doing, you meathead!_

_How could you even think of such a passive gesture!_

_This isn't right at all. They're taking photos of a lie._

_Please, let's stay this way a little longer..._ her thoughts gossiped.

As his cheek was rested on hers, Inuyasha brought his lips towards her ear.

"Not today, Kagome." he whispered. His breath made the hairs on her ears rise. "Don't let him get to you."

Leaving her cheek, Inuyasha placed a quick peck on Kagome's forehead and turned towards the paparazzi. He gave a smile of surprise as if he hadn't seen them since they left the hotel.

The two continued to walk down the sidewalk. Inuyasha's arm remained around Kagome's waist. His fingers clenched her hip with a gentleness she hadn't known and a strength that indicated she was his. She desperately tried to hold back the flushed expression on her face.

Her forehead was so lucky.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"LAY OFF!"

A startled Kagome flinched as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. She walked quickly to the door and craned her neck to the neighboring room.

"If you would just–" she heard a worn out voice say desperately.

"Read my lips, lady," replied the irritated client. "I ain't takin' the cap off."

Tossing the hairbrush on the couch, Kagome straightened her shirt and paced towards the next room. Leaning on the frame of the door, she watched as Inuyasha fought with his hairstylist, who had efforts to remove his hat. The restless woman crouched over Inuyasha with an irritated expression on her face. Inuyasha leaned back on his chair, waving his arms to slap hers away.

Kagome folded her arms across here chest and rolled her eyes at the scene. The cool, calm, and collected Inuyasha that had been on the sidewalk with her was thrown out of the window. She shook her head and smiled. He was such a talented actor, constantly disguising himself on and off the camera.

Clearing her throat, the two paused in their actions and shifted their eyes to her. The hairstylist immediately regained a proper stance and adjusted a loose hair from her pony tail.

"Ah, Ms. Higurashi," the hairstylist said nervously. "I apologize for the clamor." Kagome gave a small smile of forgiveness.

"What's the problem?" Kagome asked as she made her way into the room. The hairstylist sighed and slung her shoulders.

"I'm just trying to do my job, Miss." she began. "but Mr. Inuyasha refuses to remove that hat of his."

Kagome fought back the urge to laugh when she looked over to Inuyasha, who sat with a pout. Pretending that she was in deep thought, Kagome nodded her head.

"Could you excuse us for a moment?" Kagome asked the hairstylist. Shrugging her shoulders, the girl exited the room.

Standing in silence for a moment, Kagome tapped her foot intensively. Inuyasha avoided making eye contact as he sat with his arms folded across his chest.

"Inuyasha–" she began.

"I don't want to hear it." he interrupted bluntly. Kagome scoffed. "Guess we can avoid this stupid photo shoot." She turned to the closet and flung open the doors. Standing akimbo, her eyes scanned the clothes.

"Or you could suck it up and wear a different hat." she suggested curtly. Inuyasha placed his hands on his head territorially. "Get over it, Inuyasha. You don't even like that hat."

"Do too." he defended. Kagome turned towards him and snorted. Once again, he avoided looking at her.

"Then why don't I give Jakotsu a call so you can be in their next music video?" Kagome asked sarcastically. Inuyasha shifted in his seat. "I'm sure he'd love to see you again." she mocked with efforts for a reply.

Nada.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the closet and snatched a hat from the shelf. Turning to Inuyasha, she tossed it onto his lap. With a chuckle, she found his eyes from the reflection of the mirror.

"We're getting better at this, I'd say." she said simply before closing the door behind her.

Inuyasha stared at the closed door for a few moments, analyzing what she just said. Shifting his eyes to the hat on his lap, he lifted it up and looked in the mirror. He removed his black cap and replaced it with the one given to him.

Turning his head to catch the different angles, Inuyasha smirked to himself. Tossing the _Band of Seven _cap onto the table, he stood up and made his way to the door.

Glancing back at the abandoned hat, Inuyasha flinched.

He'd make a note to burn it once they returned to the hotel.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Make love to the camera!" the flamboyant photographer exclaimed as he harassed the button of his camera. "More, more. Gimme more love!"

Kagome gave a polite laugh as she inched her body closer to Inuyasha's. Any more closer and she would burst with embarrassment at the closeness of his chest to hers.

"What are you? A married couple or teenage lovers?" the photographer said sarcastically. "You're giving me puppy love, but I want to capture the same exact faces made on your honey moon."

Kagome fought the urge to laugh at this. The faces of their honey moon? If she remembered correctly, their faces were anything but magazine-worthy. Wasted. Pissed. Dizzy. Confused. _That_ was what their honey moon was.

"Any more love and these photos are going be no better than porn." Inuyasha muttered, making Kagome giggle.

"Oh, honey, don't tease me." the camera-man said with a sigh. The couple paused their chuckles to stare at the photographer questioningly. He laughed guiltily and stopped clicking at his camera. "Why don't we take five?"

"What was that about?" Kagome whispered as she broke her body away and stretched. Inuyasha shrugged as he slightly shifted the hat on his head.

In a sudden action, Kagome felt Inuyasha's hand cup hers. She blushed instantly as his soft palm caressed her hand. Before she could even ask, Inuyasha turned to her.

"Let's go see how the porn turned out." he said sarcastically. Giving a small smile, she nodded her head. Tugging her hand, the two made their way to the computer screen.

Ever so slowly, Kagome curled her fingers to grip the hand within hers.

Walking up to the computer screen, Kagome saw Sango with her arms folded across her chest. She stood and observed the shots taken previously. Kagome's cheeks grew warm as she looked at the pictures.

"These aren't half bad," Sango whispered to Kagome. "If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you two are a bonafide happy couple."

Kagome gave a small smile. Sango's eyes averted to their interlocked hands. She raised an eyebrow, but decided not to highlight the matter. Checking her wristwatch, she sighed and excused herself.

"I have to go deal with your publicists," said Sango as she brought out her cell phone. "I'll see you two at the conference."

Watching her exit the photo shoot, Kagome stood idly. Tugging on her hand, Inuyasha captured her attention on the screen.

"Pay attention." he hissed to her. "They're asking which picture we'd like best for the cover of _Tokyo Times_."

Kagome jolted up as she focused on the screen. Pick one? Only one? The pictures were all so very hard to choose from. The lighting and colors were all mixed up and beautiful within each shot. However, what made it most difficult to choose was the memory of how she felt while taking the photo.

In one shot, they sat back to back. Kagome's head rested on Inuyasha's shoulder as his head gently hovered over her's. She remembered feeling so safe and close behind Inuyasha. It was as if he was this giant wall of protection and bravery. But at the same time she felt a distance between them. A pathway in which they followed the same road, but were separate in their tracks. It was almost like a lonely, but safe route towards a similar direction.

The second shot her eyes landed upon required much more closeness and lust. She recalled the camera man ordering them to stare at each other with intense desire. He wanted her. She wanted him. Easier said than done, she remembered thinking. Kagome stood in front of Inuyasha, her body facing his. Both of her hands laid on his chest as his hands clutched onto her upper arms. She flashed back to the way his eyes scanned her face. Even behind his violet contact lenses, she could see the amber gold colors of his eyes. His eyes brought a wave of attention, not only focused on her face, but on her whole entire body. She felt that Inuyasha saw who she was inside out.

But he didn't, she knew that. The photo reminded her of misjudgement. A certain sadness rushed through her while looking at it. She knew the marriage was fake; she knew that they never felt any form of lust for each other. This picture just screamed lies, lies, lies. Even though she was living a lie, something about the picture hurt her because of its disguise. It was so staged that it pained her to look at it.

While scrolling down the images, Kagome's eyes landed on a particular shot. The corners of her lips rose at the memory. With her back turned to him, Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her shoulders. His arms locked around Kagome's tiny frame. Her hand playfully grasped his exposed elbow. Inuyasha's cheek laid gently over Kagome's ear as they both smiled at the camera.

"I like this one." Kagome finally said as she pressed a finger against the screen. The camera-man and Inuyasha stared at her. She gave them a smile and a wink. "It fits us best."

"But what about–" the camera-man began, but Inuyasha interrupted.

"No," he said. "She's right. It fits."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a surprised glance. He agreed with her so little, but she mentally thanked him. She gave his hand a small squeeze and smiled.

"It's perfect."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Next question."

_When did you start dating?_

"I think we started grouping together during the second movie." Kagome lied as she smiled at the press. The flashes of cameras began to make her squint.

Her and Inuyasha sat along a large table facing the audience of cameras. From the corner of her eyes she could see Sango standing with her clipboard and cell phone. Kagome felt tired and nearly worn out by the day's events.

_How were you able to keep it a secret for so long?_

"That's for us to know and for you to find out." Inuyasha replied as he flashed the photographers a smile, bearing his "artificial" fangs.

Kagome couldn't help but admire his indefatigable strength. He showed no signs of weariness or fatigue. Inuyasha looked exactly as he did in the morning–save for his hat. She held back a giggle when remembering his facial expression when asked if he could keep the hat from the photo shoot.

_What do you two do for fun?_

"Because we're currently shooting a movie, it's a bit difficult to go out much." Kagome said, Inuyasha nodded his head. "However, lately we've just been staying in the hotel room and occasionally visiting the nearest coffee shop."

"And we always order for room service," Inuyasha added in, smirking. "Noting that Kagome is a terrible cook. Though, I guess I'll give her an A for effort; or a B-, whichever." Kagome shot him a glare.

"When the movie is finished filming, Inuyasha and I hope to attend a _Band of Seven_ concert." Kagome continued, hitting Inuyasha's ego. "He doesn't stop talking about how great they are. You should see his hat. He's such a fan." she smiled, batting her long eyelashes. Inuyasha's eye twitched.

_Band of Seven fan?_

"They're okay, I guess." Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome smiled evilly.

"Oh, don't be modest!" she cut in, soaking into his embarrassment. "You always sing that song in the morning. What is it called? 'Murdering Heartthrob'?"

Inuyasha gave here a glare. She responded with insisting eyes.

"It's 'Menacing Heartbeat'." he corrected. Kagome retained herself from laughing. "Next question." he subtly begged.

_Inuyasha, what are your replies to Kikyo's comments regarding Kagome?_

Kagome hesitantly eyed Inuyasha. His jaw tightened and she could tell that the question had hit a weak spot. The cameras clicked the expression on his face. Kagome desperately wanted to stand up and cover Inuyasha with a jacket. Even though he held back his reaction, she could tell he wanted to outburst in a series of curses. She was aware of the effect when Kikyo's name was mentioned. His silence pounded the weight within his pained and questioned eyes.

"I think that I'm more fitting to answer that question," Kagome found herself saying. Inuyasha eyed her oddly. She gave him a smile, but her eyes were glazed with confusion. "Her comments are freely stated and, therefore, freely ignored. I don't think she could affect our marriage one bit with her criticism."

Kagome cleared her throat and flashed a smile for the cameras. Covering his microphone, Inuyasha whispered in her ear.

"That question was addressed to me." he hissed.

"And when were you thinking of answering it?" Kagome replied behind her teeth. "Fifty years later?"

Inuyasha was silenced as he sat back in his chair. Kagome threw him a glance and shook her head. Pouring a glass of water, she waited for the next question to be asked.

In all honesty, time wasn't the sole reason she had answered the question. The fact that they had cornered him with such a poisonous subject was intolerable. It could've been anyone else they had asked about. Anyone. They just _had_ to bring up Kikyo. Sharks, she thought. Vile, heartless sharks.

A balled napkin was thrown at her shoulder. She looked at Inuyasha and raised an eyebrow. Preparing to whisper words about how childish he was acting, she paused as he mouthed something to her.

'Thank you.' she made out.

Smiling, Kagome rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.

_Viewers doubt the consistency of the marriage, claiming that you two married too young. What do you have to say about that?_

Kagome paused to think of a reply. She gave an encouraging smile as she pondered. Great, a perceptive question. This was an obstacle that she ceased to think about. After all, she was only 21. Of course people were going to think they didn't know any better...

"Those people are wise beyond my years. They've experienced life I'm only beginning to live," she began. "And it's not wrong for them to think me young and naive. Inuyasha always tells me that I am." Kagome gave a silent chuckle as she sugar-coated the words 'stupid' and 'air-headed'.

"But despite that, I don't think what I am affects how I feel. As the days progress, I learn new things and expand my horizons. I'm finding myself growing into something new. Something great." Kagome turned her neck to look at Inuyasha and grinned. "Something happy."

"And, in response to those that feel I am too young and inexperienced, I cannot say whether they are wrong or right. I can't predict what the future holds." she closed her eyes and blinked hard, swallowing spit for her dry throat. "But what I can assure viewers is that I care deeply for Inuyasha. And that it's deep enough to cover 100 years of experience."

Taking a sip from her glass of water, the press was silenced as they jotted down notes on their notepads. Kagome felt Inuyasha's eyes focused on her, urging for her attention, but she couldn't stare back.

The press, she could handle. However, she was sure his questions would be heavy enough to break her back.

"Next question."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Never had Kagome felt happier to enter in a hotel room. Never had she considered something besides her own home a humble abode. Never had she desired to lay down on the carpet and pass out.

Never had she thrived to avoid another question.

"I'm wiped out," Kagome sighed as she slipped off her shoes and tossed them to the side. Throwing her purse on the couch she stretched her arms and yawned. "Thank goodness it's over."

"For today." Inuyasha sneered. Kagome ignored his comment and hung her jacket on the coat rack. He took off his hat and looked at her hesitantly. "Kagome..."

"I mean, you'd think I'd be equipped to experience days like today." Kagome interrupted, ignoring him. "But, wow! It was like dancing in a microwave." she laughed at her analogy.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha said again, this time with a distinctive voice that wanted to finish speaking.

"Tomorrow we're going to have to continue filming," she whined their agendas. "Then there's more publicity..."

"Kagome..."

"And I've got to meet up with Sango tomorrow," Kagome said, more to herself than to Inuyasha. "It's like one day without her feels like a year."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed. She jumped at his frustrated exclamation. Inuyasha's eye brows her knit as he glared at her. She stood nervously before him.

"Inuyasha?..." she said slowly, trying to calm him. "What's the matter with y–"

"Let me talk!" Inuyasha barked, furious with her constant interruptions.

She hadn't meant to stress him, really. As she eyed his angry expression, Kagome felt guilty for selfishly ignoring him. She didn't intend to ignore _him_. It was _that_ question. She knew it was going to approach at some point. She knew he would corner her and demand for an answer.

She knew she wouldn't be able to lie to him either.

"Did you mean it?" he asked. Kagome swallowed her spit and fiddled with her fingernails. "Well?" he pressed.

"Mean what?" she stalled, irritating him even more.

She knew fully well what he meant. He was referring to that question at the conference. Not the one about Kikyo. Not the one about the _Band of Seven_. The one about _them_.

"That '100 years of experience' bull." Inuyasha said, but flinched after saying it with more bitterness than intended.

"So what if I did?" Kagome challenged, averting an answer.

"That depends," Inuyasha crossed him arms. "Did you?"

Oh, the interrogations never rest.

"What does it matter?" Kagome shrugged as she began walking to the bedroom. "Today was strictly about publicity."

"Was it?"

Kagome paused. Okay, something didn't fit. She turned to face Inuyasha. It wasn't like him to be so analytical. He must've been more tired from the day's events than she thought.

"Inuyasha," she said cautiously. "Maybe you should sleep in the bedroom and I'll sleep on the couch for tonight. You seem more likely to pass out than I am." she chuckled. Inuyasha unfolded his arms and scratched the back of his dog ears.

"No, it's fine." he shook his head. "You've already contaminated it with your scent enough." Kagome huffed, but grinned. Resuming her course towards the bedroom, Kagome bit her lip.

Kouga had claimed her to be a terrible liar, but at the same time ironically complimented her as a wonderful actress. How could one person be both things at once, she remembered thinking. Weren't those professions one in the same? To lie was to act; to act was to lie.

She loved to act. Did this mean that she loved to lie? Was her loved life revolving around a web of lies she created for herself? Kagome sighed as she made her long journey to the doorknob of the room, constantly questioning herself. _Today was strictly about publicity_.

"Inuyasha," she said as she turned. He was adjusting the pillows of the couch before laying down. He looked up at her with tired eyes. "I didn't mean what I said at the conference." she finally answered.

The darkness of the room hid his reaction. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt and stood. Inuyasha was silent.

_Today was strictly about publicity. _she told herself over.

She was a terrible liar.

"It's more like a rough 50 years of experience." she smiled before closing the bedroom door behind her.

* * *

I might have to edit this chapter again, but for now, tell me what you think! I'm excited about writing the future chapters.I finallyrememberedrest of the storyline.Mm, I can feel the fluff. Happy New Year! 


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